Leaves in the wind
by Tinygoron
Summary: Sasuke has been recovered and is back in Konoha. But a burned tree does not heal so easily... pairings are SS NH. NOTE: I'm baaack! Please review, as usual!
1. In the wake of the wind

Author's Note: I'm writing this as what I think should happen after Sasuke is retrieved from Orochimaru's grasp. Yes, I know this hasn't yet happened, nor has any method of doing so been devised. Think of this as taking place later than chapter 318 of the manga, as far as canon goes.

Disclaimer: It's the same for everything. I don't own jack.

Chapter 1: In the wake of the wind.

"Sasuke-kun?" asked the unusually small voice of Haruno Sakura.

"Yes?" Came the dull, monotone reply from Uchiha Sasuke.

"You're not eating the curry I brought for you… are you feeling okay?"

Sasuke paused before answering. At this moment, he wanted to look into Sakura's eyes and tell her that no, he was not feeling okay. He wanted to tell her that he felt like a monster for what he'd done to the village, the people, and especially his best friends. He wanted to let her know that within every cell in his body he carried a ton of grief and guilt for what he'd done. He wanted to, but he just didn't have the energy.

Instead, he merely said, just as dismally, "I'm sorry. My appetite seems to be gone at the moment." He looked away from her and added, "Thank you for you kindness."

"Don't mention it, Sasuke-kun," she replied with a smile. Noticing the time on the clock, she said, "Sorry to have to leave, Sasuke-kun, but it's time for me to visit Naru- er… people in the hospital."

"It's alright," he added emotionlessly. Even if she had succeeded in covering her words properly, he'd still have known what she was doing. She was going to see Naruto and the others in their hospital beds, recovering from the horrible wounds he himself had given them. His guilt tripled as he thought of their pains.

"Well… goodbye! See you tomorrow!" she said as cheerfully as she could muster before bowing and heading out the door.

After she left the Uchiha household, Sakura let out a sigh. She'd been visiting Sasuke for days now and he'd been just as gloomy, if not more so. Since his return, she'd been the only one who went to visit him. Everyone else didn't want to or was too injured to see him. Still, she was determined to make sure that everything would return to normal.

But… what was normal? She'd had the idea for the last four years that normal was she, Sasuke, and Naruto training under Kakashi… but that hadn't happened in so long. Was "normal" just a fantasy for her?

"Reality is this. Everything is different from how it used to be…" she told herself firmly as she made her way into the hospital. "And you're going to have to make the best of things." She quickly put on a smile before entering Hatake Kakashi's room.

"Oh! Sakura!" the white-haired Jounin greeted cheerfully, flashing his single-eye smile, "How's it going?"

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei. I'm alright, thank you. How are you doing?" she replied.

"Well, I can't believe I'm back here," he said, rubbing the large wound on his stomach, "but if you hadn't been there with your medical ninjutsu, I wouldn't have survived."

Sakura blushed under the praise from her teacher. "It's as you've always said, sensei. 'I will never let any of my comrades die,' right?"

Kakashi nodded. "Indeed. But," he said, slipping back into his regular unenthusiastic mode, "I'm fine as long as I have this." He whipped out his copy of _Make-Out: Tactics_.

"_He just loves those books, doesn't he? Kakashi-sensei, at least, hasn't changed one bit," _Sakura thought to herself.

After a moment, Kakashi decided the ask the question he'd been avoiding. "Sakura. How's Sasuke doing?"

Sakura's hand tightened into a fist. "He's not eating anything, as far as I can tell… and his voice still has no emotion. He looks more like a ghost every day… I'm getting worried.

Kakashi gave her a smile reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, Sakura. He'll be fine. He's home now, and as long as we're willing to forgive mistakes, everything should be fine. If we didn't forgive people for mistakes, Naruto would never have become a ninja. Speaking of which… shouldn't you go visit him and the others?"

Sakura nodded with a slight smile, "You're right… I hope you feel better, sensei!" she called as she walked out the door, Kakashi waving.

"_Let's see…" _she thought, going down the list of patients she had to visit, "_Next up is… Lee-kun. Ah, here's his room._" She opened the door of Konoha's green beast, Rock Lee, who had fought with incredible persistence in the last battle. As she walked in, she spotted the form of Tenten next to his bed.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything…" Sakura said quickly, backing out of the door.

"No, it's okay," said Tenten. "Lee's just sleeping right now…"

"Oh well. I'll come back later, then," said Sakura. "But if he wakes up later, can you give him this?" she asked, pulling out a lotus flower and handing it to Tenten.

Tenten smiled. "Of course."

As Sakura made her way around the hospital, she found out that many of the people she'd come to visit had already checked out. Of course, she'd only see them briefly to thank them for their help on the mission. Finally, she reached the last person on her list: Uzumaki Naruto. Arriving entering his room, she found that Shikamaru and Neji were also there, talking to him, both covered in scratches and bruises. Upon seeing Sakura, they silenced themselves and moved so that she and Naruto could finally see each other.

"N… Naruto!"

"Sakura-chan!"

She looked him over. He was covered head to toe in bandages. He looked very much like he did three years ago on his first attempt to retrieve Sasuke. But this time…

"Heh, I haven't felt this beat-up in three years!" said Naruto, smiling broadly. "But it's alright, because unlike the last time…" his smile widened further, "This time, I kept my promise! I brought Sasuke back!"

"You brought Sasuke back?" repeated Shikamaru, raising an eyebrow, "I guess the rest of us were just along for the ride."

"Well," said Naruto, looking sheepish, "I did have some help. But either way, we did it! Sasuke's back at Konoha."

Sakura nodded, returning the smile, "And now we can finally relax… how're your wounds doing, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned smugly and said, "What, these? These are nothing. I'll be up and about and to see Sasuke in no time! You've been to see him, right? How's he doing?"

Sakura's expression fell. "He… I think he feels really bad about everything… but I also think he wants everything to be back to the way it was."

Neji and Shikamaru briefly met each other's gaze. Though they knew Sasuke's story, both of them were thinking the same thing: Sasuke should feel bad for what he's done… all the pain he's put these two through… he couldn't even apologize to them.

"Well, I'll help put things back right!" said Naruto, trying to keep things cheerful.

The sound of the door opening again reached everyone's ears, but as they turned to face whoever had entered, it was only slightly opened. "Hello?" asked Sakura, wondering who was there. No answer came. "Is… somebody there?" after a moment, the door opened further to reveal the blushing face of Hyuuga Hinata.

"Uhm… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… I-I just wanted…" she stammered on, her face reddening.

"Hey Hinata!" Called Naruto, waving his hand for her to enter, "Come on in!"

Hinata's eyes brightened and her blush increased as she said nervously, "H-hi N-Naruto-kun! I just c-came to see you- I mean, see how you- I wondered how-" she paused, taking a deep breath. "H-how are you, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, aside from the bandages, I'm doing great!" he answered joyfully.

Hinata let out a sigh as her heart swelled. "That's… really, really good!" she said.

There was a brief silence, which Neji broke, saying, "Well, Shikamaru, we'd better go see what the Fifth wants for our next mission. You know how she gets when we're late." As he started to walk out, he added, "Hinata-sama. I'll be at the house later, okay?" She nodded slightly.

Shikamaru was puzzled for a split second, but then realized what Neji had planned. "Right you are, Neji. Let's get going. I don't want to be stuck with those troublesome Chuunin exams again." The two of them left.

Again, silence filled the room. This time, it was Sakura who broke it as she said, "Well, I should go see Tsunade-sama too… she'll want to hear how I fared in the mission."

"Eh?" said Naruto, sounding disappointed, "Well… if you really have to go… Granny Tsunade _does _get pretty angry easily. But we'll hang out later, right?"

Nodding, Sakura replied, "You can count on it," before leaving.

Now only Naruto and the ever-reddening Hinata remained. Hinata's mind was split between gazing at Naruto's smiling face and staring way from it. Remembering what she'd meant to do when she visited, she reached into her bag and pulled out a bowl with a sealed lid.

"N-Naruto-kun, I brought you something…" she said, placing the bowl on the bedside table.

"Ooh, what is it, what is it?" Naruto said eagerly as she removed the lid.

"I… I know you like it, but wouldn't be able to get it while you're here, so I brought it to y-you… It's…"

"A bowl of Ichiraku ramen!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, grabbing the chopsticks Hinata had placed besides the bowl. "Thank you so much, Hinata! It's very nice of you to bring me my favorite meal while I'm here." He inhaled the ramen's aroma. "Mm, it smells delicious! Thanks again, Hinata!" He pulled apart the chopsticks while saying, "Itadakimasu!" and dove into the meal.

Her heart nearly bursting with glee, Hinata bowed and said, "Oh, no problem, Naruto-k-kun…" Soon, she felt the familiar dizzy feeling, indicating she was going to faint soon. Reluctantly, she began to walk toward the door. Before leaving, she told Naruto, "If you'd like, I… I can bring you some more t-tomorrow." Her blush doubled as she contemplated the bold move she'd made.

Naruto swallowed his current mouthful and replied, "Sure! That'd be great! And when I get out of here, I'll take you to Ichiraku in repayment."

Hinata could not believe her ears. Her sight began to get blurry, but nonetheless she asked, "R-really?"

Nodding, Naruto said, "Yeah, my treat!"

Unable to maintain herself any longer, Hinata smiled and closed the door behind her. A short while later, Naruto heard a soft thump outside the door. After that, a large bang from outside Naruto's window filled his ears as some white smoke filled the room.

"_Wait… that noise… this smoke… Ero-sennin!"_ Naruto thought as Jiraiya the frog hermit opened the window.

"Yo!" said Jiraiya, sitting atop his gigantic frog, grinning.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto called back, leaning out the window.

Jiraiya sighed, "Y'know, if you weren't in bandages right now, I'd bop you over the head for calling me that," his grin returned, "but hey, how're you feeling, Naruto?"

"I feel great!" Naruto said, raising his arms in excitement, then quickly dropping them from the pain, a grimace across his face.

"I guess you're still wounded from the battle. But at least you came out a victor this time, right?" said Jiraiya.

"Yeah!" Naruto said, regaining his smile, "We defeated Orochimaru and got Sasuke back!"

"Yes, you sure did," said Jiraiya, then muttered to himself, "It seems that I was the fool after all…"

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," said Jiraiya. "I heard the details of the battle from Kakashi and let me say that I am impressed with the move you invented."

Naruto grinned, "Heh. Well, it was pretty great. It was even more powerful than Rasengan!"

Jiraiya nodded. "Not only that, however, but I am also impressed that you managed to defeat Orochimaru and… neutralize Sasuke without the aid of the nine-tailed fox."

Naruto's grin widened into a full-blown smile once more. "Yeah, am I good or what? I'm glad that it's in me, though. Its chakra helps a whole lot in healing my wounds."

"Well, I'm proud of you, Naruto, and glad that I got to train you as my apprentice. But, as soon as you get out of here, it's back to training with Kakashi, so rest up!"

"What? I don't get a break?"

"Come on, do you really want one?"

Naruto grinned again, "Nah, the more I train, the faster I'll become the next Hokage!"

"That's right. Now, speaking of Hokage, I've got to go speak with our current one… remember what I said, get some rest!" With that, the frog bounded off to Tsunade's office.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"_What do I do now?"_ Sasuke asked himself, still staring up at the ceiling. "_I… can't just leave the village again, after what I've done… but I still have my oath. I've got to kill him, no matter what." _Sasuke's head turned toward the dusty old picture from three years ago when he, Sakura and Naruto had become fully-fledged ninja under Kakashi's guidance. He grabbed the frame and brushed the dust off of it. "_But… maybe it can wait… and I could use some help."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Well, that's the first chapter of my new story done! Next chapter, things get rolling with an actual plot and, gasp! The chuunin exam 2! Well, wait and see! Please leave a review, I'd really appreciate it!


	2. A new breeze

Author's note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I really do appreciate them a lot. Let's get things rolling.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never will.

Chapter 2: A new breeze.

"So, that's how it went, eh?" Tsunade asked Sakura after her pupil's description of her last mission.

Sakura nodded. "Yes. Sasuke-kun was retrieved with no one dead or permanently wounded."

Tsunade smiled. "I'll assume that's thanks to you?"

Blushing slightly, Sakura said, "Well, Tsunade-sama, I did do a little with the medical ninjutsu that you've taught me… I'm not sure I can be credited with the survival of everyone on the mission, but…"

"Oh, come off it," Tsunade said smugly, "Kakashi's already told me everything, including how he'd be dead with a hole through his abdomen were you not there."

"Yes, well. I mean, I did treat him…"

Glancing out the window, Tsunade interrupted, "Sorry to rush you out, Sakura, but I've got another person to see at the moment. And," she rose from her seat and walked to her window, "He's about to get a beating if he doesn't come out of hiding."

After a moment, the white-haired head of Jiraiya appeared in the window, grinning. "I keep forgetting you can sense my peeping. And then I remember the first time I nearly died, thanks to you. Oh, hello, Sakura-chan."

"Good afternoon, Jiraiya-sama," said Sakura, bowing, "I'll be on my way, Tsunade-sama."

"Take care, Sakura," Tsunade called after Sakura as the pink-haired girl left. "Now then. Jiraiya, tell me of Naruto and the nine-tails' condition."

Grinning, Jiraiya said, "I am pleased to say that there is no reason to worry at the moment, at least. Naruto has succeeded in suppressing the fox's power while having it do no damage to him. In fact, it continues to heal him and give him great stamina."

"That's good. Will Naruto be able to fight Akatsuki soon?"

"Indeed. Judging from his current condition, Naruto should be out of the hospital and back to training within the next few days. That's good, because," Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, "I've received information that Akatsuki is planning a strike soon."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "When?"

"Around the time of the next chuunin exam, I'm afraid."

"But that's only four months from now!"

"I know. Worse still, the two they're sending over are none other than Kisame and Uchiha Itachi."

"Itachi?" Tsunade repeated, "But… if he returns to Konoha, Sasuke…"

"… will undoubtedly make an attempt on his life, I know," Jiraiya continued, "Which is why I have also come to suggest that you recommend Naruto and Sasuke to be partners in the next chuunin exam. That will give them a chance to reconcile with each other as well."

"That's probably for the best. Jiraiya, return to the hospital tomorrow and tell Naruto about the upcoming chuunin exam. I'll have Shikamaru do the same for Sasuke."

Nodding, Jiraiya leapt from the window and out of sight. Tsunade looked out towards the sky, wondering, "_Just when everything seemed to be getting peaceful… this will definitely throw things back into chaos, at least for Sasuke and Naruto."_

_/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

The next day at the Uchiha house, Sasuke was standing in front of his door, ready to leave. In his hands, he held the scratched forehead protect that Naruto had returned to him so recently. With a deep breath, he put it on and thought, "_Until I can truly feel at home once more, I will wear this." _After placing across his forehead, he looked down to find a note slid under his doorway. Picking it up, he read:

"Hey, Sasuke-san,

It's troublesome, but the Fifth has placed me in charge of the chuunin exam again. I'll never understand why women do such troublesome, frustrating things. Either way, you should have another try at it. The only ones from our class who haven't become chuunin are you and Naruto. Give it a thought, it's coming around in a few months.

Shikamaru"

"_Well, it seems he hasn't changed," _thought Sasuke, placing the note in his pocket and opening the door, "_Now I should probably find – perfect."_ Looking outside, he spotted just who he needed to see walking outside: Sakura. "Hey, Sakura!" called Sasuke.

At the sound of her name, Sakura turned. When she saw whom it was, her eyes lit up. "Sasuke-kun! You're outside!"

Sasuke smiled, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a while. It was a small, miniscule smile, but a smile nonetheless. "You know, for the first time in a while, I'm feeling really hungry. Do you want to go out and get something?"

Blushing, Sakura asked hopefully, "Do you mean, like, on a date?"

After a pause, Sasuke answered, "Alright. We'll call it a date."

Sakura's smile grew as she rushed up and hugged him. Though he did not return the hug, he did not pull away from it either. Together, they walked toward Ichiraku ramen. On the way, they passed many people who would greet them with things such as "Hey Sasuke-san, good to see you," or "Good afternoon, Sasuke-kun. I haven't seen you around in a while."

When they finally did reach the ramen shop, they found Hinata there, purchasing a bowl of sealed ramen. "Hello, Hinata-san," said Sakura, "buying some ramen to eat on the go?"

"Oh, hi Sakura-san, Sasuke-san. No, this isn't for me. Actually, it's for…" said Hinata as her cheeks grew extremely red, turning her gaze to the ground and said quietly, "N-Naruto-kun."

"Really?" said Sakura, "You're bringing that to him in the hospital? That's nice of you. He'll really enjoy that. But you should get going before it gets cold."

Nodding, Hinata waved goodbye and said, "Bye, Sakura-san, Sasuke-san!" and began to walk off in the direction of the hospital.

Sakura called after Hinata, "See you later, Hinata-san!" as Sasuke returned a slight wave.

Afterward, the two entered Ichiraku and ordered. The owner of the shop asked, "Are you two here on a date?"

"Yes, sir, we are!" replied Sakura enthusiastically.

"Well, then this is on the house in honor of that and Sasuke-kun's return!" Sakura smiled benignly and thanked the old man for it.

Sasuke hadn't been kidding when he'd said how hungry he was. He ate bowl after bowl, stopping only to take a drink of water so as to prevent choking and reply to Sakura as she talked.

"Yeesh," said the owner after Sasuke's seventh bowl, "You've eaten almost as much as Naruto does"

"I'm glad you're here with me, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura, leaning up against his arm, "How about you? Are you happy?"

Sasuke did not answer for a moment, then said, "… I'm not sure if 'happy' is the right word."

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura, confused.

"…Never mind. You don't… need to hear it," said Sasuke, turning his head from her.

"But Sasuke-kun…" Sakura pressed on, "I _want _to hear it… Please, tell me."

"I… can't talk about it right now… it's… difficult for me."

"Oh," said Sakura, disappointed, "It's okay. I… I understand."

Turning his head back to see her crestfallen face, Sasuke couldn't help but think, "_Why is it that whatever I do, I just hurt my friends?" _Placing some money on the counter, he said, "Old man, here's the payment for the bill," and began to walk off.

"Oh, sure…" said the man, "but what about…"

"Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura to Sasuke's back, "Where… are you going? Don't you…" she swallowed hard, "don't you still want to be with me?"

Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "It's not that I don't want to be with you," he said without turning around, "but I'm pretty tired… I think I need some more rest."

"Well, I'll walk you back to your ho-" began Sakura.

"No," Interrupted Sasuke, "I'd like to walk back by myself."

Sakura choked back some tears. "I see," she said quietly.

"But thank you," said Sasuke, beginning his pace again, "for your offer and… for being with me today."

A few tears fell from Sakura's eyes but she smiled, nevertheless.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Naruto!" called Jiraiya, hopping through Naruto's open hospital window, "I need to talk to you for a mo- oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Hinata was sitting on Naruto's hospital bed as he happily ate the ramen she'd brought him. "Hello there," he greeted Hinata.

"Oh, h-hello," replied Hinata nervously.

"Hey, Ero-sennin!" said Naruto, "Nah, it's alright, we were just finishing, right Hinata?" Hinata slowly nodded.

"Naruto, who's this? You've never told me about her. Is she…" he help up one pinky, "your 'this'?"

Hinata's blush grew tremendously as she realized what he was doing and stared straight at the floor, muttering, "Me? I'm… I'm just…"

"What?" said Naruto, putting the pieces together, "Oh! No, Hinata's just a good friend of mine," turning to Hinata, he said, "Hinata, this is Jiraiya, one of the _Sannin. _It sounds big and impressive, but he's really just a big per- ow!" Naruto cringed in pain as Jiraiya smacked him.

"Seems like a really good 'friend' to bring you your favorite dish in the hospital," commented Jiraiya with a smirk as he spotted the girl's blush.

"Oh yeah, Hinata's really great," said Naruto, smiling. Hinata's blush grew, if possible, redder, as though a ripe tomato had just set itself aflame while bleeding copiously.

With a swift motion, she rose from Naruto's bed, leapt to the door, pulled it open, said, "GoodbyeNarutoI'llseeyoutomorrowitwasnicetomeetyouJiraiya-samagoodbye," and ran out. A few seconds later, a small thump was heard from outside the door.

"Y'know, that's the second day in a row I've heard that thump after Hinata's left. I wonder what it is," said Naruto, puzzled.

"_Idiot," _thought Jiraiya, "But anyway, Naruto," he said, "I came to tell you that the chuunin exam is coming up in a few months."

"Yeah?" said Naruto, "So what? I'm probably way stronger than the guys who are chuunin."

"But Naruto, think about all the respect you'll command as a chuunin instead of a genin!"

"Meh. I'll get everyone's respect when I become the next Hokage."

"I heard Sasuke's participating in it."

This caught Naruto's attention. "Sasuke's taking the exam again?"

"_That got him," _thought Jiraiya. "Yep. But hey, if you don't want to take the test…"

"Hey! I was just kidding about that, you know that, Ero-sennin!"

"Right. So, I suggest you be Sasuke's partner, seeing as Sakura has already become a chuunin. Also," said Jiraiya, lowering his voice, "Two members of Akatsuki are coming to find you during the chuunin exam."

"What!" asked Naruto, enraged, "Which two! I'll kill them!"

"It's part of the reason I asked you to take the exam with Sasuke. The pair that is attacking you is one you've faced before… Kisame, and-"

"Uchiha Itachi…" finished Naruto, "So you want me to help Sasuke fight him?"

"I want you to do that and to stop Sasuke if he does something crazy."

"Got it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

At the house of the Hyuuga, Hinata stared out her window and sighed. "_Did we really look like… did I look like the caring girlfriend, bringing her boyfriend food while he can't get it himself?" _She smiled dreamily. She was so deep in thought that she didn't even realize that Neji had walked up behind her.

"So you're in love with Naruto, eh?" he said calmly.

This brought Hinata out of her trance. "Wh-what! How did you- Who- where-"

"Hinata-sama, I don't need the Byakugan to see that you've held a soft spot for Naruto in your heart for a long time."

"Am I really that obvious?"

Neji nodded.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Sakura sighed a sorrowful sigh, walking home. "_Did I do something wrong?" _she thought, "_Why did Sasuke leave like that? I hope I didn't to anything to bother him…" _She sniffled. Tears were still trickling out of her green orbs, at a faster and faster rate. "_Just when I thought things were going much better…" _ Feeling weak in her knees, she stumbled to the floor, breaking the fall with her arms. "_Oh God, I don't know what to do anymore… I feel so useless again and this time, I can't just train and fix it." _Her tears began to form a tiny puddle on the ground. "_I wish… I wish that-"_

"_Everything could_ _just be-"_ thought Naruto in his room at the hospital.

"_Exactly like it used to be," _thought Sasuke, lying on his bed. He picked up the photo of his ninja graduation from three years ago with Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto. "_I wish that I could reverse time and go back to these days."_ He looked for a moment at his scowling face in the photo, Naruto's grumpy look, Sakura's wide smile and Kakashi's happy expression, proud of his students. "_But I can't," _Sasuke thought, taking out Shikamaru's note and reading it again to himself. Afterwards, he looked once more on his old photo, and a single tear fell from his jet black eyes.

"_I just can't."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

So that's it for chapter 2. Naruto's out of the hospital next chapter and treating Hinata to ramen! Meanwhile, Sakura's strong will slowly starts to degrade. Please leave a review again, my lovable readers!


	3. New Branches

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter 3: New Branches

Taking a deep breath, Naruto stepped out of the hospital. "Ahh," he sighed joyfully, "_It's good to be out of the hospital and out in the village again!" _he thought, smiling, _ "I don't think I could stomach another one of those hospital meals. Time for some actual good food at Ichiraku!"_ The thought of the restaurant reminded Naruto of the promise he'd made to Hinata two days earlier. "_Hmm… I told her I'd meet her at seven… and it's only about five now, so I can get a few bowls and still be fine," _he thought, and began walking towards the ramen place. Of course, a few bowls for Naruto meant about ten bowls for a normal person.

"Sakura-chan?" said Naruto, seeing the pink-haired girl walk down the street.

At the mention of her name, she looked up. "Oh, hello Naruto," she said quietly

Naruto caught up with her and said, "Hey, Sakura-chan, how's it- Sakura-chan? Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her crestfallen expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's… nothing," she lied, turning her face away to hide her expression.

"Your eyes are puffy… have you been crying?" he asked.

"No… It's just," she looked back at him. His eyes were filled with care and worry, so much that she couldn't lie to him. "I'm just a little worried about Sasuke-kun, is all."

"Oh, I see," said Naruto, "Do you wanna talk about it over some ramen?"

Any other time, she would have told him it was all right, that he didn't have to do anything. But at the moment, her heart was so heavy that she honestly did not want to refuse his offer. "Sure," she said after a moment, and the two walked toward Ichiraku.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh, I'm so nervous!" said Hinata, preparing her hair in front of her mirror.

"You don't need to be, you look fine," said Kiba, leaning against Akamaru.

"B-but that's not just it!" she said anxiously, "This might be my only chance to be alone with Naruto-kun!"

"Do not worry," said Shino, "If you act properly, the night should go without a hitch."

"Yeah," agreed Kiba, grinning, "I mean, if you just don't act nervous around him, he won't be able to help but fall in love with you."

"Ohh," said Hinata, blushing heavily, "You're just saying that…"

"It's true," said Shino, nodding, "You are a delightful person, Hinata. Naruto is a simple person. If you just show him the kind person you are, he'll be head over heels for you."

Hinata's blush deepened. "You guys… you guys are the best friends I could ask for." Kiba and Shino grinned at each other.

"And no fainting."

"K-Kiba!"

"Ah, yes, that is also a problem."

"Sh-Shino, you too?"

"What? It's not like you don't," said Kiba, laughing.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So that's what happened, huh?" said Naruto after Sakura had finished recounting the events of the previous day, finishing his fifth bowl.

"Yes," she said softly. She'd barely touched her own meal. "Ever since he came back to the village, it feels like Sasuke-kun has closed his heart up and won't let anyone in."

"Ah, Sasuke's just getting used to Konoha again," said Naruto, starting in on his sixth bowl, "We just need to give him some time. He's been alone for the past three years with no friends and no one to talk to except Orochimaru and Kabuto. I think that'd make anyone feel awkward, even someone like Sasuke."

Listening to him talk, Sakura thought, "_Wow… I never knew that Naruto understood stuff like this so well. Maybe he's not as dumb as he seems."_

"Just wait, the three of us'll be hanging out again and having fun like the old days!" said Naruto, slamming his fist on the counter. This, however, proceeded to knock his hot bowl of ramen onto his lap, causing him to yelp in pain.

"_But I've been wrong before," _said Sakura, grinning as she watched Naruto flail around trying to remove the substance from himself.

Seeing her expression, Naruto ceased flailing and said, "Hey! I think I see a little smile! Come on, make it wider! Bleah!" he said, contorting his face into odd expressions.

Sakura chuckled at his antics, thinking, "_Well, Kakashi-sensei was right in calling Naruto the 'Comedy Ninja'."_

After stopping the funny faces, Naruto asked, "Ya feeling better, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded. "Yes, I think so. Thanks, Naruto."

A smug grin came across his face, "Hey, what are friends for?"

Afterward, they just talked, not about the past, but about everyday things. "Naruto, I'd better go," said Sakura after they finished a certain topic.

"What? Why?" he asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be treating Hinata to dinner in a few minutes?"

"Eh? How'd you know about that?"

"I saw her today, right before I saw you, actually. She told me and seemed really excited about it."

"Oh. Well, bye, Sakura-chan! And listen, Sasuke and I are gonna be taking the chuunin exam together, so if everything isn't fine by then, I'll talk to him, okay?"

Nodding, she waved goodbye, feeling significantly cheerier than she had before she'd run into her teammate. "_Naruto…" _she thought, feeling the evening breeze against her face, "_thank you."_ As she walked, she spotted the form of Hinata walking in the opposite direction. "Oh, hey Hinata-san," she greeted her.

"Oh! Hello, Sakura-san!" said Hinata, almost not noticing Sakura in her hurry.

"You're just on time. Good luck!" The two girls waved goodbye to each other and resumed walking away from one another.

Hinata slowed her hurried pace to a slight stroll. "_Okay," _she thought, "_Just be yourself and Naruto-kun will like you. Didn't he say three years ago that he liked people like you? He'd said that right after you'd told him truthfully why you thought he was strong, right? So… you have nothing to be afraid of!"_ Now feeling fairly confident, though still nervous, she reminded herself to watch out for certain things. "_No stuttering, no looking away when he looks at you, try to control your blush, and…" _she remembered Kiba's words, "_Absolutely no fainting whatsoever."_

As she arrived at Ichiraku, Naruto spotted her and called joyfully, "Hey, Hinata! I've been waiting!"

"Hi, Naruto-kun," she called back, a smile on her face. Meanwhile, her mind was bursting with thoughts. "_Waiting? Was I late? Oh, he looks so handsome… even more than he did three years ago. What about me? Does he think I look okay? Is what I'm wearing alright?"_ She took a deep breath. "_This is going to go nowhere if I keep doubting myself… he's one of the few people who's cheered me on…"_

Naruto patted one of the stools next to him. "Come on, sit down," he said, inviting Hinata over.

"Oh, r-right," she said, mentally berating herself for just standing there foolishly.

"So how're you doing?" asked Naruto, "We haven't gotten many chances to talk since I got back."

"_Just be yourself," _she thought. "I'm alright, Naruto-kun."

"How's the village been while I was away?"

"Well, eventually Konoha stabilized itself after the Sound's attacks, so missions slowed down a lot… and everyone in our class became a chuunin."

"Yeah, I heard. Neji became a jounin, right?" Hinata nodded. "I'm still a genin, though."

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun. You've been training for three years straight with one of the legendary _Sannin, _right? So then you've got to be very strong… I bet you could still beat Neji." Hinata blushed upon giving him the compliment, even though she did think it was true.

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, maybe. I'm taking the next chuunin that comes up."

"That's good… who are you taking it with? Sakura-san's already a chuunin, so…"

"Hm." Naruto hadn't thought of that yet. The chuunin exam required three members per team for the written and second exams. "I dunno yet. I guess I'll find a rookie genin and bring him along with Sasuke and me. Of course, he's bound to fail once we get into the third exam…"

"Who knows? He may surprise you," said Hinata. "We were all rookies the first time we took it, and five of us made it to the finals, including you, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, if they hadn't been interrupted, I'd probably be a chuunin already!"

Hinata smiled. "I'm happy for you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto returned the smile. "_I guess I never knew it before, probably because she was so weird around me before, but Hinata is one person who I've never had to gain the respect of," _he thought. "_She's never thought ill of me, she's only believed in me from the start. And I also hadn't noticed until now, but…"_

"Hey, Hinata," said Naruto.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"You've gotten a lot prettier over the last three years, you know?"

Hinata thought her cheeks would catch on fire from the heat she was feeling. "N-N-Naruto-kun… d-do you really mean that?"

Naruto nodded. "_At first, I thought, 'she's no longer that dark, weird girl I know. Now she's a beautiful, great friend,' but then I realized… she never was dark or weird. I was just too dumb to notice," _he thought as he watched Hinata sigh heavily, a smile composed of pure bliss on her face.

After that, they continued their meal, the conversation jumping from topic to topic, easily. Both were startled at how simple it was to talk to the other… and both were glad that it was.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"_I've got you, Naruto," said Sasuke, his cursed seal at level one, slowly rising to level two. He'd just taken his opponent's back and had a charged chidori, ready to cut through his heart. "It's over," he said, striking with his electrified hand. _

_But, before he could make contact with Naruto's back, he felt his hand through another body. "Kakashi!" said Sasuke, removing his hand from his former teacher's stomach. "How did you-"_

"_I thought I told you on the mission to the land of the waves, Sasuke," said Kakashi, straining to pull up his forehead protector, "I… will never… let any of my comrades… die!" The jounin's hand dropped to his side as he stared Sasuke straight in the face with his Mangekyou Sharingan._

_Sasuke's own Sharingan eyes widened. He leapt away from Kakashi, gasping, as the teacher kept his gaze on him. "H-how?" asked Sasuke, clutching his face as the terrible memories brought from seeing the kaleidoscope variation of his bloodline limit surfaced in abundance. "How do you have that, Kakashi?" he cried, "Answer me!"_

"_You think… I'll just… give it away? Shinobi are supposed to be secretive, Sasuke… I thought I… taught you… better than this," said Kakashi, sweat dripping from his forehead, blood gushing out of his wound, but still keeping a locked stare at Sasuke. "Sorry, Naruto… I can't disable him with… this little… strength… but I will… disarm him." With a final burst of chakra, the Kusanagi sword that Sasuke held shattered into a thousand shards. His strength drained, Kakashi collapsed on the ground. "It's… up to you to bring him back… Naruto…"_

_Naruto clenched his left fist. With his right, he began building and shaping chakra into his attack. "Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto, teeth clenched in rage, "That's all I need to stop him!" _

_With a cry of fury, Naruto leapt into the air. Sasuke watched him approach, closer and closer, the chakra growing in his right hand…_

"Ahh!" cried Sasuke, sitting up in his bed. It had been another dream about… the battle. Sasuke reached his hand to his neck, rubbing the aching spot where his cursed seal once was. In its place was a regular bruise, slowly healing. "_Damn it," _thought Sasuke, "_No matter how much I try to pretend… I can only make things worse for the people I care about. But still, I've got to try… I've got to repair the damage I've done."_

His mind flashed back to the events of the previous day. "_Sakura… I need to fix what I've done to her. She's loved me unconditionally and all I've done is hurt her… she's been so caring, so gentle… so understanding, and I've taken it for granted." _A sudden pang burst through Sasuke's heart and his eyes widened. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before… similar in strength to how he felt every time he thought he'd let down his family, but of a different nature. It was more powerful than how he felt about hurting Naruto or Kakashi or anyone else.

"Oh no," he said to himself, quickly grabbing his picture of Team 7's graduation. Gazing at Sakura's smiling face, another pang ran through his heart, more powerful still. "Oh no," he said again. "I… do I feel it too?" he asked himself, staring at the ceiling, wishing he hadn't felt the pain in his heart. Though he knew the answer already, he asked the air around him, "Do I love you, Haruno Sakura?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Alright, chapter done! I revealed a little of the battle and brought up some emotions in some characters… I hope you don't hate me for it. Please review, my wonderful readers!


	4. I'm sick of making leaftree metaphors

Author's note: Thank you all for your reviews! I really appreciate them. And sorry for the long update… I've been away from the computer.

Disclaimer: Look in other chapters.

Chapter 4: I'm sick of making up leaf and tree metaphors.

Hinata sighed blissfully for what must have been the ninth time the five minutes she'd been awake that morning. Her heart swelled with joy at the recollection of the previous night's events…

"_Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked Naruto, hours after they'd met each other for dinner._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I've had so much fun with you tonight, but," she said, the disappointment apparent in her voice, "My father doesn't like me to stay out so late at night."_

"_Oh," said Naruto, a hint of disappointment in his own voice. He'd been having a fun time, talking with Hinata. He never knew she was such a good conversationalist. "Well, if you have to go, I don't want to get you into trouble with your father."_

"Ah, Naruto-kun, so thoughtful as always," _she thought, getting up from her stool at Ichiraku. "Well… I'll see you around, Naruto-kun. Thank you very much for the meal."_

_As she turned to leave, Naruto called for her, "Hey, Hinata!"_

"_Yes?" she said, turning back instantly to see him._

"_I… really enjoyed this, tonight, so… I was wondering, maybe we could do it again sometime?" he asked, looking into her eyes, "I'll treat you again."_

_She blushed, barely able to believe what he'd said. "R-r-really?" she asked, her stutter returning in full. Naruto nodded. "N-Naruto-kun… I'd like that!" she said, barely able to contain her excitement._

_Naruto smiled. "Great! So, what about the same time this weekend?"_

"_Th-that sounds g-g-great!" she answered, a large smile on her face._

"_Alright, see you then, Hinata-chan!"_

Sighing a tenth time, Hinata remembered how wonderful it sounded to hear the honorific attached to her name. She felt proud of herself for not fainting at any time during the previous day. "_Maybe,"_ she thought, "_Just maybe, it's not a far-off dream…"_

_/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

Meanwhile, in Tsunade's office, the fifth Hokage yawned as she finished the paperwork for some Jounin's mission. "_It is way too early for it to be morning," _she thought, dragging up the next sheet of paper. The previous night, she'd been hitting the slots pretty badly, and hitting the sake ever worse. Not only had she gotten the smallest amount of sleep she'd had in a month, but also her hangover was giving her a massive headache.

Suddenly, she heard a knocking at the door. Due to her condition, it sounded as though several large elephants were trying to break the door down. "Ugh… it's open, it's open!" She called, rubbing her temple. The door opened to reveal Uchiha Sasuke. "Eh? Sasuke-san?" she asked, her vision still a tad blurry, "What do you need?"

Sasuke stepped further into the office and bowed. "Good morning, Hokage-sama," he greeted her, trying to be as polite as possible, "I'm sorry to bother you at such an early hour of the day, but…"

"Just… say what you need, Sasuke-san. And if it's not much trouble, keep your voice a little lower, please," she said, wincing at the brightness of the lamps.

He nodded. "I am fully healed from all of my injuries and have received word that my former teammates are almost all fully recovered also. So, I am formally requesting to resume performing missions with Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura as soon as possible." He felt nervous. Perhaps she wasn't going to grant him permission because of what he'd done. A wave of guilt washed over him. "_It's not like I deserve it, or anything," _he thought.

But to his surprise, a smile came over the face of the Fifth. "Permission granted. But seeing as Kakashi's still recovering from… certain wounds, missions for your team will either be postponed or will be run with a different team member." After Sasuke bowed and began walking out her door, she called, "Sasuke-san?" He turned around. "How's that bruise of yours doing?"

"It's still a little sore," he said, turning once more to leave, "but I feel much better than I used to."

Tsunade smiled as he left.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As Sasuke walked from the Hokage building, he realized felt much more energetic than he had in the past few days. The air seemed fresher, the sun seemed brighter, and it was just generally a nice day outside. Because he was caught in his reverie, he didn't notice he had walked into someone until it was too late.

A familiar voice began, "I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was… Sasuke-kun?" The two looked at each other and Sasuke saw that it was none other than Sakura whom he had bumped into. Her face was bright for a moment, but a sorrow-filled frown came across her face as she walked past him, saying, "I'm sorry I bothered you."

Quickly turning and grasping her shoulder, he said, "Wait, Sakura!"

She turned, a looking at him with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

Excited as he was that he'd found her, he couldn't exactly just reveal his feelings for her. "_It's not like I could just say, 'Oh hey, sorry I've been an utter jerk to you, now I love you, do you still love me?'" _he thought, trying to say something as she gazed up at him. "You… weren't bothering me," he said, finally, "In fact, I'm glad to see you."

"You are?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah… listen, I'm sorry for the other day… can I make it up to you?"

"Wh-what are you trying to say?" she asked, her heart hoping.

"I mean, tonight, can I make it up to you by doing it over?" he asked, answering her prayers.

"Of course, Sasuke-kun!" she said, embracing him tightly.

Sasuke thought to himself what a wonderful day it was so far. "Hey, listen," he said after she let go, "I was just going to go visit Kakashi in the hospital… wanna come along?"

She nodded and the two went to visit their sensei.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"_This book just gets better and better every time I read it, I swear," _thought Kakashi, relaxing in his hospital bed, reading his copy of "Make-Out Paradise". After finishing up a chapter, he heard one of the nurses talking to what Kakashi guessed were some visitors for him.

"And he's right in here," said the nurse, opening the door, "Kakashi-san, you have visitors! Two of your students are here to see you."

"_Sakura and Naruto have come to see me, eh? That's nice," _thought Kakashi cheerfully. He raised a hand to greet them and said, "Hey Sakura, N- Oh. It's you, Sasuke." _"This is a surprise."_

"How's it going, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sasuke.

Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow. "What's this 'Kakashi-sensei' thing? The Sasuke _I _know never calls me that."

Sasuke grinned. "Sorry about that, my memory's a little dull. How's it going, Kakashi?"

Kakashi flashed his one-eyes smile. "I'm fine, Sasuke. The nurse says I'll be out and about by the end of today… but still no missions for a while."

Sasuke's grin faded as he said softly, "Kakashi… I'm really sorry… I don't know if there's a way to-"

"Listen," Kakashi cut him off, meeting him eye-to-eyes, "The Sasuke I know didn't do this," he said, motioning towards his abdominal wound. "The Sasuke that did do this is dead, and if I remember correctly, he had a cursed seal."

Smiling at his sensei's words, Sasuke replied, "Thanks, Kakashi." Sakura's heart swelled with joy at her love and her sensei's understanding.

"Don't mention it," said Kakashi, whipping out his book again. "By the way, the chuunin exam's coming up in a few months. You should take it."

"I'm going to."

"I knew you'd say that. Your skills are above and beyond the chuunin requirement already, but…" Kakashi narrowed his eye, "You're a bit lacking in the strategy department."

"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke.

"Shikamaru was the only one of your class to become a chuunin the first time around. That's because he used his brain to fight. Now, recall when you fought Gaara the first time. After he went into his cocoon of sand, you had to use the Chidori to pierce it. That was a good bit of thinking, there, using the time he wasted in the shell to power it up and gain speed."

"So what's the problem?"

"Well… recall what happened afterward. You injured his shoulder heavily, cutting directly through his armor, but you were unable to extract your hand for a while until you powered electricity through it again. Your mistake was in failing to wonder what would happen if you missed his vital spots, a very likely occurrence."

Sasuke remained quiet contemplating this mistake.

"You think a step ahead of the game, Sasuke. That's very good. But the difference is that people like Shikamaru, and even Naruto, who was able to defeat a genius like Neji, is that they think more than two steps ahead of everyone else."

"I see…" said Sasuke, "So, how're you going to train me to overcome that?"

"Oh, I'm not going to train you this time around," said Kakashi.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"This is troublesome, but Godaime said that I'd get paid for it and that's why I became a shinobi in the first place," Shikamaru said flatly a while later. He was sitting across from Sasuke, who had been sent to the former's house to train.

"Alright, I get it. You're lazy. So how are _you _going to train _me?" _asked Sasuke, wondering how in the world Shikamaru could help him.

"By doing the only thing that I do without the need for outside motivation," replied the chuunin, placing a board and some pieces between the two of them, "We're going to play Shogi."

Sasuke was puzzled. "… What?"

"Shogi is the ultimate game of strategy. Kakashi told me that's what you lack. Is this getting through?" Shikamaru asked smugly.

"Yeah, yeah," said Sasuke, brushing off the comment, "So we'll play Shogi for a while and that'll make me a better strategist?"

"Yep, that's it," replied Shikamaru. "We'll play until you can beat me twice in a row."

"Is that all?" asked Sasuke, raising his eyebrow in disbelief, a grin on his face, "That shouldn't take too long."

Shikamaru smiled. "Alright, if that's what you think, this will be easier for both of us," he said, moving his first piece. He and Sasuke played until ten minutes later, when Shikamaru said after one of his moves, "You lose."

Sasuke's eyes widened, scanning the board to find that the other man was right. "That… was just a practice round. It's been a while since I've played. Let's do it again."

"That's what we're here for," said Shikamaru, and again they played. Again, ten minutes later, Shikamaru announced, "You lose." At Sasuke's expression of shock, Shikamaru told him, "You should know, that Asuma and I have played for years, since before I became a genin," he narrowed his eyes and leaned toward Sasuke, "And I have never lost."

Closing his mouth from its agape position, Sasuke said, "Well… I guess now I know why Kakashi chose you."

"Do you?" replied Shikamaru rhetorically, folding his arms with an amused expression. "I thought you would. Come on, let's play again."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naruto paced in frustration at the "bell training" grounds. "Argh, where is he?" he asked himself. "I should've known better and just waited three hours before coming. He's so… so…" said Naruto, trying to think up an adequate word.

"Helpful?" asked Kakashi, appearing before Naruto. "Perhaps patient or friendly would work as well," he offered.

"I was thinking more along the lines 'annoying,'" replied Naruto. "What took you so long this time, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh, I just got caught up when I found some very nice flowers…"

Naruto sighed. It was just another terrible excuse thought up by his sensei. "Okay, whatever. Now, what's this all about? Why'd you ask me to meet you here?"

"I thought it was obvious," said Kakashi, as calm as ever, "I'm going to train you for the chuunin exam."

"What?" asked Naruto incredulously, "Kakashi-sensei, with all due respect, I think I'm way stronger than I need to be to become a chuunin."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to sigh. "I've already given this speech to Sasuke. I know your power is immense and though you're battle instincts are great," he said, recalling what he heard about the battle he'd had with Neji, "You're not the greatest thinker, Naruto. I heard you left the written exam blank three years ago."

"Yeah, well, that's because I couldn't think of the answers! I did know them, though!" said Naruto, defending himself.

"Exactly," said Kakashi. Naruto looked as though he were going to respond, but then realized he'd been defeated by his own words. "I'm going to teach you how to call upon knowledge and logic better. On a mission, a chuunin needs to be able to find the best possible way to complete a mission, and that is often without a large fight. Trust me, this will make your missions about ten times easier."

His eyes brightening, Naruto exclaimed, "Really? You should've said so before! Let's get down to business! Tell me what I have to do, Kakashi-sensei!"

"_Too easy," _thought Kakashi. "Well, Naruto, the first step to this training is sitting down and being completely quiet."

"What?" Naruto couldn't believe his ears. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," answered the jounin. "Just do it, okay?"

He grumbled for a moment, but Naruto sat down cross-legged. "Okay, now what?"

"I want you to just sit there for a moment and take in everything you feel. Close your eyes and be silent." Doing as he was told, Naruto went silent and shut his eyelids. Kakashi's voice was heard through the darkness. "Shinobi are trained from the moment they enter the academy to have every sense other than sight enhanced. Try relying on those instead."

Naruto breathed in deeply. He heard the slight breeze cross the field and felt the coolness of it passing his face. He felt the softness of the grass beneath him. He smelled the aroma of the flowers from a patch nearby. The sound of a squirrel chattering somewhere reached his ears.

After a few minutes, Kakashi's voice reached him again. "Okay, open your eyes." Naruto did as told. "Now, what did you feel?"

"I… I heard the wind and felt its chill… and the grass beneath me… and those flowers over there," he said, pointing.

"Did you hear any animals?"

"Yeah, there was a squirrel somewhere."

"Where and how far away was it?"

"I think it was left, or maybe right… I dunno, but how the hell am I supposed to know how far it is with my eyes closed?" he asked indignantly.

Kakashi sighed again. "Maybe it'll be easier to understand the point of this training if I just show you." Closing his eyes, Kakashi told his student after a moment, "The squirrel you are referring to is six point eight meters away from where you are, on the second lowest branch of the tree behind me, gnawing at an acorn."

Naruto gaped. "Are you saying… that this training will allow me to do that?"

"It usually takes a few years to be able to recognize distance based on sound and touch, and even smell, but you should be able to do it in a few hours."

Stymied for a moment, Naruto then widened his eyes in realization. Forming a cross shape with his fingers, he cried, "_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" _Suddenly, about a thousand shadow doppelgangers appeared in the area around Naruto, all seated cross-legged.

Kakashi smiled at his pupil. "That's right. I'll be supervising your training, so just tell me if you need anything."

After a resounding "Hai!" came from all the clones, scaring the squirrel off of the tree, they closed their eyes and began to meditate.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hours later, Kakashi called to all of the Naruto's, "Alright. Disperse the clones and show me how far you've gotten."

"Right!" said the replicants as they stood up and disappeared. After only the original was left, Naruto stumbled from the immense mental fatigue he'd gained, but remained on his feet. "Ooh… I don't think I'll ever get used to that," he said, rubbing his forehead.

"Okay. Try it again and see what you come up with," instructed Kakashi.

Nodding, Naruto sat down once more and closed his eyes. "Let's see…" he said after a pause, "There's… some kind of winged insect on those flowers ten meters away… I think it's a butterfly," he said, relying on the evidence from every sense except sight. "And there's a bird picking at a hole in the tree, eight meters away."

"_Excellent as always, Naruto," _thought Kakashi, pleased with the results. "That's good. Can you tell me how far away I am?" he asked, jumping a few meters away.

"Oh, sure!" said Naruto, trying to pinpoint where he'd last detected any trace of Kakashi. "You're… uh… hang on…" his eyes flew open. "You turned all stealthy or something!"

"Close your eyes again," said Kakashi, "And try it once more."

Naruto obeyed and tried to find his sensei again. Surprisingly, he found him in a quick moment. "I could find you this time," he said, opening his eyes. "Why is that?"

"That's the second part of the training. Chakra is used to negate the outpouring of evidence left when you move in an environment. It's almost like a thin film of chakra all over your body that jams the sound, scent, and even movement in the air which makes you, as you put it, 'stealth,'" explained Kakashi. "However, this action can only be controlled with a cool and calm demeanor… certain emotions tend to erase the chakra layer and make you more noticeable. Those emotions are then received as sense information."

Smirking, Naruto replied, "I guess this explains why you're so good at it, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Indeed. Now, Naruto, do you know which emotion gives you away the most? Think about all of the missions we've been on and how I've been able to find hidden enemies."

"Hmm…" said Naruto, his hand on his chin as he thought. "Wait a minute… it's bloodlust, isn't it!" he exclaimed.

Kakashi smiled. "Correct. When you have a strong desire to kill your opponent, your chakra becomes highly erratic and gives you away instantly. Now, try the meditation with the kage bunshin again," said Kakashi, sitting down against the tree with his book, "And concentrate this time on powering your other senses into your eyes."

"What?" asked Naruto, "What does that mean?"

"Imagine as though your senses of smell, hearing, taste, and touch are being received through your eyes."

Naruto was still confused, but formed the cross-shaped hand seal anyway. "_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You lose again, Sasuke-san."

"Damn," Sasuke cursed under his breath.

Shikamaru sighed. His opponent hadn't been able to get so much as a 'check' on him while he'd been beating Sasuke with the most basic strategies. "Listen, Sasuke-san. You've got to start thinking ahead of your moves. Don't get so worked up over the current situation. Instead, calm down and think things through. Try doing this with your hands," he said, placing his hands into a circle.

"Is that some kind of seal that boosts mental capacity with chakra?" asked Sasuke.

"Nah," said Shikamaru, smirking, "It's just a habit that helps me think."

"Seems pretty useless to me."

"You still haven't won, Sasuke-san."

An agitated look on his face, Sasuke grumbled and mimicked the position of his opponent's hands. "Alright… let's play again."

"Not like we have much of a choice." And so, after a few more matches, Sasuke seemed to be getting the hang of the game. He'd forced Shikamaru into a corner, though Shikamaru pulled out a brilliant strategy and defeated Sasuke countless times. "You're getting better," Shikamaru commented after one game, "I guess it's true what they say about the Uchiha clan being geniuses. You're almost up to Asuma's level and it's only been one day."

"Heh, thanks," said Sasuke, a satisfied grin on his face.

"But, let's take a break for now, an-" he paused, hearing footsteps near the entrance to his house. "Eh? Someone's here."

"Hey, Shikamaru-kun," said a tall, cute blonde.

"How's it going, Temari-chan?" replied Shikamaru.

"_Temari-chan?" _thought Sasuke, raising an eyebrow, "_Shikamaru doesn't seem the type to call anyone '-chan'. I guess they've gotten closer over the years… I've sure missed a lot."_

"Ah, pretty well. Gaara-sama has been teaching some new students in his spare time and asked me to help. They show some promise. What's this guy doing here?" she asked, pointing to Sasuke.

"I'm just showing him the ropes in Shogi. He's training himself in strategy so he can pass the chuunin exam."

"Playing Shogi?" Temari's expression became amused. "That's pretty odd training… think it'll do him any good?"

"I beat you, didn't I?" Shikamaru said, a smirk on his face. Temari's expression reverted to normal. "So what're you doing in Konoha, Temari-chan?"

"Ah, I already told you, I've been teaching some students and they're going to take the chuunin exam. And let me tell you, they're all going to become chuunin," she said proudly.

"Well, they'll have to get past this guy first," said Shikamaru, motioning towards his semi-student. "Also, why are you here so early? The exam isn't for four months."

Temari looked away before responding. "Well, uh," she mumbled, a slight bit of red creeping barely across her cheeks, "I just want my students to get a feel for Konoha and its Shinobi's techniques."

Grinning, Shikamaru said, "Won't do you any good. I'll bet you that if they get to the finals, they'll be eliminated in the first round by a Konoha genin."

"How much?" said Temari, accepting his challenge.

"One hundred ryou."

"You've got yourself a deal."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Naruto, dispel your bunshin," commanded Kakashi. As Naruto obeyed, he felt the familiar dizziness and fell over. "Let's take a break and go to Ichiraku, eh? You seem pretty wiped. We can also talk more about this training."

"Y-yeah," said Naruto, breathing heavily, "I'd sell my soul for some ramen right about now."

"Well, luckily, Orochimaru doesn't run Ichiraku, as far as I know, so it'll only cost you a few ryou."

Naruto laughed as he followed his sensei to his favorite restaurant.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

So that's it for this chapter. It's longer than the others, but that's because I wanted to include both training sequences, the reconciliation between Kakashi and Sasuke and Shikamaru and Temari's little scene. Sorry, InoShika fans… I've got something planned for our favorite porker later. Please review, my lovable readers! Your reviews push me to great heights!


	5. Sight beyond vision

Author's note:Ouch, guys. Only one review for that last chapter. That means that you've either forgotten about me or that the last chapter sucked. Oh well. One must push on!

Disclaimer: No.

Chapter 5: Sight beyond vision

"So, what do you want to talk about, sensei?" asked Naruto, finishing his second bowl of ramen.

"There's something important I need to tell you about the training. I want you to use no more than twenty kage bunshin at a time for this training," replied Kakashi, still eating his first bowl.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "What? Why? Won't that really slow me down compared to if I use a thousand?"

Kakashi nodded. "Normally, yes. But this training is different. Try meditating and focusing your sensory information to your eyes again."

"Right now?" asked Naruto, "Okay then…" The genin closed his eyes and focused. But Darkness met his eyes. After a moment, however, he was met with a flash of bright color. Naruto gasped. He could see! Focusing on his left, he saw an outline of his sensei, oddly colored, but still clearly defined. The steam rising from the ramen took a very visible shape, and he could see through the normally opaque soup. What was more, he could see under the bowl, all the way through the counter, to see his own legs resting under it! Testing out this new ability, Naruto focused as far around him as he could, finding that his sight was capable of viewing almost every direction. His eyes flew open and, turning to his teacher, he exclaimed, "Kakashi-sensei! That was…"

"Pretty interesting, eh?" said Kakashi, grinning at the surprised look on Naruto's face. "This is what is known as 'second sight'. It allows you to see around and through objects by converting your other four senses into sight. This sight also greatly enhances your field of view. However, all shinobi can only use it with their eyes closed, with the exception of one clan."

A look of realization came across Naruto. "The… Hyuuga?"

Kakashi smiled at his student's sharpness. "That's right. This form of sight is a very basic form of the kekkei genkai bloodline limit, the Byakugan. You've probably noticed that several bulges come across their eyes when they activate this ability. Those bulges are nerves that carry and convert information from the other senses. But because of their genetic ability, they can call upon it much more easily and see many more things with it, such as," his eye narrowed, "The tenketsu."

"Woah," was all Naruto was able to say after hearing this. "But, I still don't get it, Kakash-sensei. Why can't I use more than twenty kage bunshin to train with this?"

"Simple," said Kakashi. "You'll go blind." As his student's face became even more shocked, he continued, "The enhanced nerves of the Byakugan, when converting the other four senses to sight, tone down the massive outpouring of information. Otherwise, the sight they receive would blind them from its intensity. Luckily, your nerves don't enhance the brightness of your second sight, but by the same token, you can't see as in depth as they do. This is also why I started training you so early… with so few kage bunshin, relatively speaking, four months will be just enough time to complete this."

This was a rather large amount of information for Naruto to take in. He slurped down the last of his soup as he pondered what he'd just heard. But as his heart pounded with excitement, a smile crept over his face. "Then, then, when I've mastered this… I'll be even more amazing!"

Kakashi smiled. "That's right." "_And you'll be one step closer to surpassing my teacher, Naruto,"_ he thought happily, "_Something that I'll make sure will happen. You've already surpassed me, after all."_

"Then what are we doing waiting around here? Let's get back to my training!"

"You need to pay for your food first, Naruto."

"Oh! Right!"

"_Good to know he'll always still be Naruto, though."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hmm."

"Got it yet, Sasuke-san?"

"No… wait… yes!" Sasuke cried excitedly, moving his shogi piece, "Checkmate!"

"Well, well," said Shikamaru, looking over the board. "That was a good move, really. But…" he moved a piece on the board, "Not checkmate."

"Damn," said Sasuke. "I could have sworn I had you."

"You've got to look at the big picture. A shinobi is often fooled by what he sees at first glance. In life, you've got to stop looking at just one thing and look at the rest. What's important may not be what's right in front of you, you know."

"When did you philosophize anything else than being lazy?"

"I'm just talking shogi, Sasuke-san." Shikamaru grinned as his opponent and trainee sought the best next move.

"So how's it going with Temari?" asked Sasuke.

"Where did that come from?" questioned Shikamaru, raising an eyebrow.

"Just making small-talk. Your move."

Though he wasn't quite convinced that was it, he played along anyway. "She and I are good friends. We visit each other every now and then."

"She's pretty cute, don't you think?"

"Yeah… wait, what?" Shikamaru couldn't believe he'd let himself slip.

"Nothing," said Sasuke, hiding a feeling of smugness. "So why don't you ask her out?"

Furrowing his brow, Shikamaru asked, "What are you talking about?"

Unable to hide his smile anymore, Sasuke looked Shikamaru right in the eye. He was having some real fun now. "Don't tell me that you haven't thought of it."

For the first time since anyone could recall, a blush came over the chuunin's face. "That… is none of your business!" he said, smacking down a piece with a loud clack.

Sasuke lowered his expression. "Of course not." Placing a piece, he leaned back and crossed his arms, a wide smile on his face. "You lose, Shikamaru."

"What?" asked Shikamaru, unable to believe his ears. After a thorough inspection of the board, he too leaned back and smiled. "Heh. No wonder people say 'beware the fearsome blood of the Uchiha!' Now you're starting to use your head. Come on, let's play again."

"That's what we're here for," said Sasuke, a satisfied smirk on his face.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

At the end of the week, Naruto and Hinata met once more for dinner at Ichiraku. Both were glad to see each other; Hinata was elated to see Naruto in general and Naruto was happy to get away from his training and talk to someone who didn't read an obscene book all the time. And besides, Hinata was just such a fun person to talk to.

"Phew! It sure is warm out tonight," said Naruto after his ninth bowl, unzipping his jacket. He was completely unaware of the blush on Hinata's face that appeared at this. He did, however, notice that she was still wearing her traditional heavy jacket. "Eh? Hinata-chan, aren't you warm in that?"

"Oh, uhm, yes… a l-little…"

"Well, let me help you, then!" Naruto stood up, unzipping Hinata's jacket and removing it. He found no resistance in doing this, as her body had just become slightly limp at Naruto's action.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she gasped as he placed the jacket next to her. "Th-th-thank you!"

The boy smiled. "No… problem," his smile into a wide-eyed look as he saw what Hinata was wearing underneath her jacket. It was similar to the outfit she wore on the day of the chuunin exam three years ago, except… "_Well, it was three years ago, and she has…" _Naruto gulped as his next thought arrived, "_…grown since then…" _His eyes wandered down her neckline to find that the first few buttons were undone. As he realized that he was staring, he immediately withdrew his gaze. "_Stupid Ero-sennin and his peeping! I must've caught it from him!" _"Ah, sorry for staring, Hinata-chan, it's just that you're so…"

"So… what?" she urged, her blush increasing with her curiosity. She really hoped he wasn't going to say "dark, plain, and timid" again.

"… Gorgeous," he said eventually. Naruto didn't know why he'd said it; it was just the first word to pop into his head that properly described the woman in front of him. He blushed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head in anxiety, wearing a dumb grin. Now he expected Hinata to think that he was being stupid for saying something like that.

But instead, he heard her small, gentle voice ask, "Is that the truth, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah," said Naruto, "I don't know why you wear your jacket… you're really too pretty to hide like that."

Hinata's heart was bursting with joy. But then, something took her smile away. "Naruto-kun… do you want to know why I wear my jacket?"

"Huh?"

She looked around nervously. "What I'm about to tell you… you can't tell anyone, promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay," she sighed, gathering her thoughts, "It's the same reason I created that ointment… you know, the one I gave you at the chuunin exams three years ago."

"What is it?"

"It… was to hide my bruises."

"Bruises?" asked Naruto, confused, "But, Hinata, all of us shinobi get bruises on missions… there's no reason to hide th-"

"No," she said quietly, though with a tone that was enough to cut him off. "I was hiding the bruises from… my father." At the last word, she turned her head away, unable to look at her beloved.

Naruto was even more puzzled. "What? You got bruises from your father? What do you mean, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata clenched her fist, bracing herself. "My father… he used to beat me."

"_Beat _you?" shouted Naruto, disbelieving.

"Please, Naruto-kun, keep your voice down," she said, still barely whispering, "Yes. He would get angry at me for being weak, telling me that I would be the fall of the Hyuuga clan… and then he'd start to attack me with normal speed, not holding back." A tear trickled down her cheek, her voice becoming shaky with each word. "It would go on for hours and hours, and when I'd cry, he would yell at me, saying that I was lucky he didn't use the juuken," She sniffled, the tears now coming in slight streams from her eyes. "Then he'd make me wear a jacket, so that no one would know."

"Hinata…" Naruto could barely believe what she'd just told him.

"He, he didn't want anyone to know," she said, her voice becoming louder as she started to hyperventilate, trying to stem the flow of tears, "that the so-called 'great lord Hiashi of the Hyuuga' would mercilessly beat his own daughter. He called me worthless so many times…" Hinata hung her head in sorrow, "That I guess I just started to believe it after a while." She closed her eyes in a last effort to stop her crying. After a moment, though, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Naruto giving her a warm, understanding smile.

"I know what it's like, Hinata," he said, wiping her tears with his sleeve, "I know how it feels to be thought of as worthless… to feel like you can't do anything right, no matter how hard you try… that people hate you, just for existing. It hurts, right?" She nodded, letting out another sniffle. "But the truth is that you're not worthless… you're the opposite, actually." He placed his other hand on her other shoulder. "You're a good person with a great heart… and your father should consider himself blessed to have such a daughter. I know that I'm extremely lucky to have you as a friend."

She looked into his eyes, knowing from what she saw in them that what he'd said was the truth, from the bottom of his heart. Instantly, she felt comforted by him, knowing she didn't need to try and hide her sorrow. "Oh, Naruto-kun!" she cried, embracing him in a tight hug. Naruto was a little surprised by this action, but quickly held her gently against his chest. No longer did she try to stop her tears. Hinata sobbed heavily, crying out the pain of every sad memory and feeling she could remember. After all the years of hiding herself, she could finally let it out. As she cried, Naruto stroked her back, running his fingers through her long, black, silken hair.

"It's okay," he said in a soft, reassuring voice. "It's terrible to feel alone and worthless, but now you've got friends who care for you a lot… and no one's going to hurt you like that, ever again… I'll make sure of that." He felt her warmth increase after he said this, and her grip became tighter around him, as though she would collapse if she let go. "_She's like me," _he thought, still cradling the girl as her sobs became softer, "_We were both hated for no reason… but we're still good people inside. Why is it that we have to suffer? And worse yet, why do we have to suffer… alone?"_

……………….

After a while, Hinata had calmed down and sat back on her own stool. "Are you going to be okay?" asked Naruto.

She nodded, and though she did so with a sniffle, she smiled at him. "I'll be fine, Naruto-kun… thanks to you," she added quietly. "Thank you for dining with me again," she said, giving a short bow.

"Hey, don't mention it," said Naruto, indicating for her to lift her head. "In fact, I should be thanking you. This was a good break from my training. Oh!" Just then, an idea had struck him. "Hinata-chan… would you mind meeting me here every weekend for dinner until the chuunin exams? Kakashi-sensei is working me pretty hard and I'd like to take a break every now and then… what do you think? Hinata-chan?" Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open.

"N-N-N-Naruto-kun… that would be wonderful!" she proclaimed, overjoyed by his offer. She clenched her fists, trying with little success to hide her enthusiasm. "I'll see you next weekend, then!" she said, getting up off of her stool.

"You're leaving?" asked Naruto, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"My family will get worried if I'm out too late, you know…"

"Then I'll get you home quickly," said Naruto, standing up and walking a few feet from the ramen stand. He then bit into his right thumb, just enough to draw blood, and after making the appropriate hand seals, planted his hand into the ground.

"_Kuchiyose no jutsu! (Summoning technique!)"_

Just then, a giant frog popped appeared in a puff of white smoke. Naruto leapt onto its back, smiling with satisfaction at the impressed look on Hinata's face. Extending an hand to her, he said, "Come on, Hinata-chan. This is your ride."

"W-wow…" she muttered, taking Naruto's hand and sitting behind him on the large amphibian.

"Hang on tightly to me to me, Hinata-chan," he told her, "This could get a little rough."

Hinata was glad that Naruto was in front of her, because she was blushing at his command. "O-okay," she said, wrapping her hands around his chest, closing her eyes in preparation for the ride.

"Alright, Gama-kun! Let's go! To the Hyuuga estate!" The Frog nodded, letting out a loud croak in agreement, then pushed its powerful legs into the ground. Within a second, the frog, Naruto, and Hinata were a few hundred feet above the air. Hinata opened one eye, wondering where they were after feeling the massive amounts of air pass over them. After she saw how high they were, her eyes widened.

And she screamed.

"Don't worry, Hinata! You're completely safe!" Naruto called over the howling wind. "Just keep holding on to me, and never let go! You're safe, as long as you're with me."

Hinata ceased her screaming and thought, "_That's right… as long as I'm with Naruto-kun, I'm safe." _She leaned her head against his back, holding him tighter still. "_No matter what happens… I won't let go."_

The frog landed with a resounding thump, but only remained on the ground for about second before thrusting itself into the air again. Hinata opened her mouth once more, but instead of screaming, she began laughing. "This is fun, Naruto-kun!" she called over the roar of the air.

Smiling at her change in reaction, he called back, "Yeah! And it only gets better from here!" The two of them spent the rest of the ride laughing and yelling with excitement, not fear, over the various jumps the frog performed. Finally, they reached the Hyuuga estate and Hinata dismounted.

"Whoo…" she said, wobbling slightly as she got off the toad, "That was fun, but I don't think I can use my legs very well after that," she said, smiling dazedly.

"Then let me help you," he said in an unusually gentle voice, holding Hinata steady by the hand, guiding her towards the gates of the mansion.

"Oh, Naruto-kun… tonight has been so wonderful… thank you," she said, leaning on his arm for a moment as they reached the entrance.

"No reason to thank me," said Naruto, releasing his grip on her hand so that she could enter. "Being with a friend like you is what's made this so good."

Blushing heavily, she waved at him, and he waved back, mounting the frog once more. And with a large hop, the orange-clad ninja was off, leaving a blissful Hinata in his wake.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Well, that's that chapter… sorry for the long wait, the next one will be up more quickly. Please review, I'd really hate to get only one review for this chapter too!


	6. It wasn’t supposed to be this way

Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews! Here's the next chapter, up quickly, like I promised.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter 6: It wasn't supposed to be this way

"How was your weekend break from training, Naruto?" asked Kakashi as he and his student met up once more the following Monday.

"Good," Naruto said simply. "I had some ramen, talked with some friends." "_I learned that Hinata's father is a hateful monster," _he thought sorrowfully. "How about you, sensei?"

"It was alright. I did some enjoyable things," said the jounin in his usual calm tone.

"_There he goes again, saying something without actually meaning anything at all." _

Kakashi pulled open his book and sat by the tree. "Okay then. Make one thousand clones."

"Wait a minute! You said that I could only make twenty clones for this training!" said Naruto, confused yet indignant at the same time.

"That's right. I said to use only twenty clones for _this_ training. You didn't think I'd just have you sit around all day looking at things, did you?"

Naruto frowned at once again being outsmarted by his teacher. "Okay, so what are the other clones going to be doing?"

Pausing for a moment, Kakashi looked at Naruto and said, "Naruto… do you want to learn the Great Fireball technique?"

"What's that got to do with my training?"

"Do you?"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, sure."

"Alright. Make a thousand clones."

"Okay…" placing his fingers in a cross shape, he cried, "_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Mass shadow clone technique!)"_ Immediately afterward, the field was filled with doppelgangers.

"Good," said Kakashi, "Now, you've seen Sasuke do this many times, so you know the seal. Have your clones do it."

"Sure…" said Naruto, still wondering what this could possibly do for him. In his mind, he shouted, "_Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Fire release: Great Fireball technique!)" _As he finished, barely a puff of smoke came out from each clone. "Ugh… I can't do it!" said Naruto, frustrated at his failure.

"That's to be expected," said Kakashi after the smoke disappeared, "You're not a fire type like Sasuke, so your powers regarding fire are a little weak… but do it again anyway."

Nodding, each of the clones performed the technique again. "_Katon! Goukakyu no jutsu!" _Again, just a puff of smoke. "What's the point of this, Kakashi-sensei? I just can't do it."

"So you say. Dispel your clones." Naruto did as instructed and, as usual, felt woozy when the clones were gone. "Now do it again," instructed Kakashi.

Naruto was getting tired of this. "_Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" _He expected another whiff of smoke, but instead a tremendous fireball escaped Naruto's mouth. "Woah!" he exclaimed after the fire stopped, "What th- I mean, how did- What happened?"

"Congratulations," said Kakashi, "You've just learned the secret behind the Sharingan." In response to Naruto's confused expression, he continued, "The way the Sharingan works is that it takes in the seals and type of the move and performs it over and over, thousands of times, in the user's mind. But because of your training, you can just do it manually. And due to that, there is virtually no technique you cannot learn, except for bloodline limits that combine two elements."

The confused expression on Naruto's face soon became an excited smile. "That's incredible, sensei! If I can do that… I'll be unstoppable!"

"That's right, Naruto… but don't let that get to your head. It's interesting to think that Orochimaru wanted Sasuke for his Sharingan… but he failed to realize that there were certain techniques, such as the Rasengan, that could not be copied with those eyes. If he had wanted all the techniques…" Kakashi smiled at his pupil, "Then he should have chosen you, Naruto."

Naruto laughed. "Well, it doesn't matter either way! He's dead and Sasuke's back here! What matters is my own training!"

"That's right."

Towards the end of the day, Kakashi told Naruto to stop and get some rest, for his twenty clones had been at it nonstop and the rest had already gained several new techniques, many of each type. As they took a break, Kakashi looked at his student and asked, "Naruto… you have a faraway look about you. Is something on your mind?"

"Huh?" said Naruto, looking back at his sensei. "Oh, no, it's just that…"

"Naruto, do you honestly think you can lie to me?"

Naruto sighed a resigned sigh. "I guess not… but the thing is, I can't tell you what it is because-"

"You had to promise not to tell because it's a very dangerous secret, right?" Kakashi finished for him. "Well, you don't have to break your promise if I already know."

"Sensei, what are you saying?"

"I figured out the reason for Hinata's shyness and why she wears that jacket in extremely hot weather long ago, Naruto. Not all of us are as logically slow as you,"

"Sensei…"

"Just kidding. Besides, I used to walk by the Hyuuga mansion a lot… and Hinata's screams were pretty loud, especially when you send chakra to your ears."

Naruto took on a worried expression. "Y-you haven't told anyone, have you?" he asked.

Raising his one eyebrow, Kakashi replied, "Naruto, if I had told the village about a potentially crippling secret like that, do you believe it'd be possible for me to be sitting here talking to you? Not even I can fight off both branches of the Hyuuga."

"So what should I do?"

Kakashi's expression became solemn. "Naruto… I know it's tough for you to sit idly by while a good friend of yours is in pain… but it was a while ago, and that family needs to sort this thing out on their own."

"But I can't just do nothing!" Naruto replied angrily.

It was Kakashi's turn to sigh. "Alright. If you absolutely feel you need to do something, why don't you talk to her? You can't go against her will on this one, Naruto."

Taking this as an acceptable answer, Naruto responded, "Well, alright… next weekend, I'll do just that."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

As Naruto sat down at the stool in Ichiraku, he began waiting anxiously for Hinata to arrive. "Finally, it's the weekend," he muttered, "I wonder what Hinata'll say."

"What I'll say to what?" Hinata asked, sitting next to Naruto in what had become her reserved stool.

"Ah! Hinata-chan! Good to see you!"

"You too, Naruto-kun!" she replied happily, "Now what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Naruto's face fell. "Hinata-chan… regarding what you told me last week…"

"Yes?" she urged softly.

"I was wondering… if there's anything I can do for you."

"What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

"After hearing what you told me… I can't just lie around and do nothing… there's got to be something I can do to help you. Please, tell me, anything at all, I'll do it!" he said eagerly.

For a moment, there was silence, which Hinata broke by saying, "Naruto-kun… don't you realize that you already have?"

"Huh?" Naruto was confused. When was this?

"Naruto-kun, when you defeated Neji-niisan three years ago, you changed everything in my life," continued Hinata. "Both Neji-niisan and my father were nicer to me… they actually valued my existence as a person and a member of the family. My father started talking to me without any sort of hatred or resentment in his voice and Neji-niisan and I were friends like when we were little. Don't you see, Naruto-kun?" She smiled at him as he took in all of this, "Because of you, my life has been happier than it had been for the past twelve years."

"Hinata-chan, surely I can't be credited with all of that…"

"But you can, Naruto-kun. Everything good in my life has come from you." "_The saddest moment in my life since then was when you left for three years," _she thought as she looked at her love, "_But even when you were gone, and though I missed you terribly, I still thought of you as my savior, the hero who brought light in my life."_ "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Finally, he smiled back at her. "You're welcome, Hinata-chan. Now come on, let's eat!"

"Right!" she replied cheerfully. _"Yes, thank you, for more things than you could ever know."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\

The training continued, month after month. Naruto kept seeing Hinata for their dinner together at Ichiraku, something they both appreciated greatly. The boy had also learned several new techniques and had brought his second sight to a greater level, making him capable of reading people's emotions through it. Sasuke and Sakura had also been spending time together, hanging out whenever Sasuke had a break from training. Otherwise, Sakura went to visit Naruto or practiced her medical ninjutsu in the Hokage building. Sasuke had progressed tremendously in Shogi. He got closer and closer to defeating Shikamaru twice in a row, until three days before the chuunin exam…

"Well, I guess it's over, Sasuke-san. Your training is complete."

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," he said, "I thought I'd never get you twice in a row."

"You've even surpassed Asuma now. If you don't mind, I'd like to play you again sometime," said Shikamaru.

"Sure, but not any time soon," replied Sasuke. "I think I've had enough Shogi for a few years."

Shikamaru laughed. "Alright, I guess it's not really your thing. Well, you'd better get out of here and spend your time doing whatever you want before you have to go to take the exam."

"Yeah. Good luck with Temari," said Sasuke with a smug grin as he got up to leave, "And… thanks, Shikamaru."

The chuunin smiled. "Don't mention it."

Sasuke walked out of the Nara house and onto the main street of the town. "_I should go find Sakura," _he thought, "_She'll probably be in the Hokage building… I'll surprise her by showing up. She'll like that." _Smiling, the Uchiha traveled to the building with the kanji for fire on it. As he made his was up the stairs, he wondered, "_Where is she? Perhaps she's talking to the Fifth." _He arrived at the door to Tsunade's office, but before he could knock, he heard two voices speaking.

"It's almost time, Tsunade," said the first voice. Sasuke recognized it as Naruto's teacher, Jiraiya.

"I know… what do you think we should do?" asked the Fifth.

"I've been speaking to Kakashi and he says Naruto should be able to handle it."

"Can he really? As Naruto's teacher for the past three years, do you think that he's ready to stand up to Uchiha Itachi?"

"_What?"_ thought Sasuke, his heart pumping fast, "_Itachi's coming? Here?"_

"It's not like we have a choice. He's going to attack Naruto in the midst chuunin exams."

Sasuke was even more outraged. _"So this entire thing was just a ruse? They wanted me there so that Naruto would be sure to be there to stop me?" _Suddenly, he was struck with a tremendous headache. The world around him was spinning and he could no longer hear what was being said inside the office. "_I need to get out of here" _was the only thing he could think. He ran back down the stairs and out of the building, where he smacked straight into Sakura.

"Oh, hey Sasuke-kun, how are y- Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?" she asked, noticing that his eyes had turned into Sharingan.

"You… knew, didn't you?" he said in a low, trembling voice.

"Knew what? Sasuke-kun, what are you-"

"Don't toy with me!" Sasuke yelled, his voice suddenly becoming extremely fierce, "You're the Hokage's pupil! You had to have known!"

"Sasuke-kun, please…" said Sakura, cowering slightly at her love's rage. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb, Sakura! You knew that Itachi was coming back to Konoha! Everyone knew except me!"

"What? Sasuke-kun, I didn't know anything about your brother, I swear!" Tears were starting to fall out of her eyes.

"Yeah? Well everyone seemed pretty content not telling me anything about it! They should have told me, they should have…"

"Sasuke-kun… I'm sorry, I didn't know… please calm down," she pleaded.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Sakura!" he yelled, giving more volume to his voice. "I can't believe they did this… I can't deal with this," With those simple words, he bounded out of Sakura's sight.

Sakura dropped to her knees, crying. "Sasuke-kun… why? What did I do to deserve that…?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ah, training's finally over," Naruto said with relief. "Now for a good night's rest, and then two days later I take the exam with Sasuke… and someone else. I wonder, who should I-" Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw what was before him. "Sakura-chan?" Sakura was huddled on the ground, tears streaming down her face and sobbing loudly. "Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" he called to her, running to her side.

"N-Naruto…" she mumbled from her sobs, "What is wrong with who I am? What do I do that's so terrible…?"

"Sakura-chan, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked, leaning down next to her. "There's nothing wrong with who you are, nothing!"

"No," Sakura protested, "If there was nothing wrong with me, then… then Sasuke-kun wouldn't have gotten so mad!" She began crying more heavily as she said this.

"Sasuke…" Naruto was angered by this. Sasuke had done something to Sakura to make her this ball of sadness on the ground. "Sakura-chan, what did Sasuke do?"

"N-nothing," she said through her tears, "It was all me…"

"Don't give me that, Sakura-chan! Tell me what happened!" He softened up his tone, leaning closer to her. "Please Sakura-chan, I want to help…" He stood up, taking her hand and standing her up as well.

She nodded slowly and began to retell the events of the day. "I don't know what happened… I don't know why he would yell at me like that… he was so angry…" she finished.

Naruto sat, mouth open in shock at what had happened. "Sakura-chan… I think I know what made Sasuke do this…"

"Y-you do?"

"Itachi, as he said, is coming back to Konoha in less than a week… nobody told Sasuke because, well… they knew he'd do this. But Sakura-chan, this isn't your fault," Naruto told her.

'Y-Yes it is… If I had known, then I could have told him, and he… he wouldn't have…" she couldn't finish, as she began crying again.

"But you couldn't have! Granny Tsunade would have told you that you couldn't tell, and you can't betray the Hokage. Listen, Sakura… Sasuke's going through a bad time, but there's no fault with you! If he doesn't see the great friend he has in you, the beautiful, wonderful person that has cared about him and done nothing but train for him for the past three years… then I don't care what clan he's from! He's the biggest fool in the town!"

"Naruto…"

"I promise you, Sakura-chan, I'll make everything right. I'll talk to Sasuke and if I have to, I'll beat him up! Things will be just like they were three years ago, no, better! So please…" he pleaded, "Please stop crying, Sakura-chan… I can't stand to see you cry. Please," he pleaded, "I'll make another promise of a lifetime."

As Naruto finished his words, Sakura looked at him wide-eyed. Naruto's speech had touched her greatly and had made her realize something. The man in front of her wasn't just her stupid, goofy friend. He was so much more. He was kind, and gentle, and loving to all. She viewed him, tears still flowing down her face. Slowly, she leaned closer to his face, and then, as she approached…

She kissed him.

Naruto was stunned for a moment, but did the only thing he could on instinct. He kissed her back, at the same time motioning that they should get out of the street. Seeing the agreement in her eyes, the two walked toward Sakura's house, still locked in their embrace. Naruto's heart was in an excited panic. But as another tear fell, making contact with each of their cheeks, Naruto suddenly stopped.

"Wh-what's wrong…?" asked Sakura, pulling back, "I-is it something I did, or…?"

"No," answered Naruto, his voice gentle. "It's something that you're going to regret doing later on."

"What d-do you mean?" Sakura asked, extremely confused.

"Sakura-chan… this isn't right. We aren't right. Look at yourself… you're kissing me, however passionately, through tears. The man you love isn't me, Sakura-chan. It's Sasuke, and however much of a jerk he may be, that will never change."

"What are you s-saying…? I thought… I thought you had feelings for me all this time!" she said, still not understanding.

Naruto smiled a sad smile. "It's true. For the longest time, I loved you. Or at least, I thought I did. But now… I'm not so sure. What I do know is this: You and I are not meant to be together. You and Sasuke are. And because both of you are my friends, I'm going to make sure that that happens."

"Oh…" she approached him, but instead of kissing him again, merely hugged him. "Naruto, you're the best friend I could ever ask for."

"The same goes for you, Sakura-chan," he replied. "The same goes for you…" Naruto bade her goodnight and the two parted, each feeling better than they did minutes ago.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Meanwhile, back at the street where Naruto had found Sakura, Hinata stat a few feet from where the two had met, huddled behind a wall, crying. Memories from minutes ago passed through her mind.

"_Oh, it's only a few more days until the chuunin exam… I'll have to cheer Naruto-kun on! Maybe I'll get him something for good luck," Hinata mused as she walked toward her house. Suddenly, two sounds reached her ears as she turned the corner. One was the sound of her beloved's voice, a worried tone to it. The other was the sound of sobbing. _

_Stepping back behind the wall, Hinata said "Byakugan!" softly, activating her bloodline limit. The forms of Naruto and Sakura appeared through the wall. She felt guilty for spying like this, but maybe if she found out the situation, she could help Sakura out. But mere seconds after she'd enhanced her eyesight, she had it revert back to normal. Hinata had just seen something completely shocking, something that rattled her all the way to her toes. It was something that immediately made tears fall out of her eyes._

_She had seen the man she adores kissing another woman. _

"_No…" _Hinata thought, trying to trick herself into thinking that the incident didn't happen. "_No…" _As much as she tried "No!" she said aloud, the salty droplets spilling on the floor. "It wasn't supposed to be this way," she said to the air. "This isn't how it should have happened!" she screamed, and then buried her head in her knees, crying until she could not produce any more tears.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Woah! Did somebody call the drama llama? I hate to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but it makes you drawn into the story… right? Or maybe it'll make you hate me and stop reading. I'll take that risk. Even if you do hate me, please review! Your reviews push me to greater heights!


	7. The Gentle Fist vs the Monstrous fist

Author's note: Wow! So many great reviews! Thanks, everyone! I've been inspired to write more!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chapter 7: The Gentle Fist versus the Monstrous Fist

Naruto sighed. He hadn't slept much last night after he'd walked home from Sakura's. There were so many things that he couldn't stop thinking about. Would Sakura be okay? Would she and Sasuke make up? What would it take to get Sasuke back to normal? And… why did he say what he had to Sakura? For as long as he could remember, he'd loved her… but the previous night, something had stopped him from continuing that kiss.

Naruto tried to remember exactly when he had stopped crushing on his teammate.

Had he loved her when he returned to Konoha? Yes, he recalled wanting to go on dates with her back then… what about when they'd saved Gaara? At that time as well, he wanted to be with her… Even after they'd run into Orochimaru again, he wanted to go for walks with her as though they were dates. But now, for some reason… he didn't. He still held her as an extremely close friend. That would never change.

And yet… it seemed that in between the time he'd succeeded in retrieving Sasuke and now, he had stopped feeling such a strong emotion for her. But why? What had made him reconsider? He hadn't seen any other girls, except… "_Wait a minute," _he thought. "_There's only one girl I've seen in these past four months! It's…"_

Hinata.

Was that it? Did Hinata suddenly cure him of his love for Sakura? Sure, he'd begun to see her in a different light, but… to make him stop loving Sakura? Naruto wasn't sure either way… he was so confused that he was starting to get a headache. "_Oh well,"_ he thought, getting up from his bed, _"There're still a few more days until the chuunin exam… I don't have to quite think about it yet…"_After thinking this, Naruto stepped out of his house and decided to practice his skills.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Not being able to sleep much herself, Sakura strolled lazily down the street toward the hospital where she was scheduled to work for the day. She knew Naruto had been right last night and felt ashamed at what she'd done… Naruto had been so nice and she'd taken advantage of his kindness. She was just thankful he had the restraint she didn't. But it seemed that it was hopeless now that things would ever be okay for the three of them… Though the last time Naruto made a "lifetime promise," he had kept it, it had taken him three years to fulfill it. Sakura didn't think she could wait that long again.

"Heeeey, Sakura! What's with the frown?" called a voice in the distance, "Giant forehead got you down? With all that weight on my skull, I'd be frowning too."

"Huh?" said Sakura, snapping back to reality. In front of her, she saw Ino and Sai walking and holding hands.

"Just kidding, Sakura," said Ino, a wide smile on her face. "Seriously though, what's wrong?"

"Oh, good morning Ino… Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired… didn't get enough sleep last night," said Sakura, forcing herself to perk up. "Oh, and hello to you too, Sai."

"Good morning, Sakura," said Sai, wearing his traditional smile.

"Well, that's no good!" said Ino, "You're a busy woman, you've got to take care of yourself! I bet you haven't even had breakfast yet. Sai-kun and I were just going to get some food with Chouji and Shikamaru. You should come along too!'

The truth was that Sakura was hungry, as she'd stepped out of the house without eating, and she did have time before she needed to be at work. "…Alright," she agreed, and walked with the two towards the restaurant.

They arrived shortly thereafter, where Shikamaru and Chouji were already seated at a table. "Man, you guys sure took long enough! I'm starving!" said Chouji.

"Yeah, seriously, I nearly had to get him with my Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Possesion technique) so he didn't start bef- Oh, hey Sakura," said Shikamaru, seeing the pink-haired girl enter. "Ino invited you to breakfast with us?"

"Yep! I figured it would spice up the conversation a bit. Talking about food and troublesome things gets a little tedious after a while," said Ino, sitting herself down. "Anyway, Sai-kun was just telling me about the exciting mission he'd been on to defeat the Sound!"

"Ino, he's told you that story at least three times," said Shikamaru dully, "Besides, Chouji and I could have told you all about it. We _did _go, you know."

"Yeah, but it gets more exciting every time he tells it! And do _you _guys draw pictures when you tell stories? If so, do they move, like Sai-kun's incredible creations?"

"Ino-chan, they're not that good…" said Sai, a small blush on his cheeks.

"Brilliant and modest… he's just like you, Shikamaru, except cool and cute!"

Shikamaru's expression remained stable. "For your information, Ino, there are women out there who think that I'm pretty cool and cute."

Grinning, Ino replied, "You mean like your little 'Temari-chan'?"

This time, Shikamaru's expression did change as he blushed and his eyes widened slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, shifting his pupils left and right.

"Hey, the food's here!" cried Chouji excitedly as the waitress arrived. "I've got first dibs on the ribs!"

"Ugh, you can have them," said Ino, a disgusted look on her face, "Meat for breakfast? That's so barbaric."

"Who ordered the eggs?" asked the server.

Sai raised his hand. "That would be me."

As the waitress set the dish down in front of him, Ino picked up Sai's chopsticks and asked, "Hey, Sai-kun, want me to feed you?"

A small patch of red crept across Sai's cheeks. "Th-thank you, Ino-chan…" _"On a second look," _he thought, _"maybe she is beautiful after all."_

Sakura looked on as all of this occurred, a smile on her face. "_This is what a team is supposed to be,"_ she thought, enjoying their antics, "_Just a group of good friends who work together. I swear that someday, I'll make that happen for Team Seven."_

_/\/\/\/\/\/\_

Sitting with his eyes closed, Naruto concentrated on the world around him. Colors flooded his field of vision. During his training, he had learned to see rather far with this technique. He saw over hills, through trees, and across rivers. The world was opened up around him, so clear and beautiful, as though he were reading it from a book. For many, many hours, he had practiced, and with twenty of him doing it at once, it had developed quite well. For some reason, it seemed to sooth Naruto, bringing him to a calm state.

"_The Hyuuga sure are lucky," _he thought, inhaling deeply and then expelling his breath. "_To be able to see even more than this, at any given moment."_ He sat for a few moments, until suddenly a figure appeared directly in front of him. Even without this technique, he would have been able to guess who it was. The power was too great, too familiar for him not to recognize.

"Naruto," said Sasuke, his voice quiet, yet strong.

"Hello, Sasuke," said Naruto, with an uncharacteristically calm tone.

"Did you know?" Sasuke asked, his voice demanding and stern.

Naruto decided to play dumb. "Know what?"

"Don't tell me you didn't. I overheard that old teacher of yours and the Fifth discussing it. You knew that Itachi's coming to Konoha."

Deciding that he couldn't lie his way out of this, not that he particularly wanted to, he replied, "Yeah. I knew. So what?"

"'So what'?" Sasuke repeated, his fist clenching, his voice shaking with anger. "Why didn't you tell me, Naruto?"

"Why should I have told you?" returned Naruto, not missing the beat for a second.

"Don't you give me that! You know I should've known at any time if _he _was returning! You know what I've got to do!" he yelled, his Sharingan eye activated from his rage.

"Is that so…" said Naruto, standing up, to look Sasuke in the eye, his tone still calm.

"Yes it is!" Sasuke asserted, "Why didn't you tell me, Naruto? I thought you were supposed to be my friend! Friends don't keep these secrets!"

This comment resonated with Naruto. "…You want to know why I didn't tell you, Sasuke?" he said, a sudden iciness to his voice. "You want know why I kept it a secret from you? You want to know why everyone in the _village_ kept it a secret from you? Because they knew that you'd do something like what you did to Sakura-chan!"

Suddenly, Sasuke realized what he had done. His eyes widened in shock. "Oh no…" he said, his voice considerably lower. "I… didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to send her into a fit of tears!" finished Naruto. "But you did. You didn't think before your actions and you ended up hurting your close friend! I thought I was supposed to be the brash one." Naruto paused for a moment to let the effect sink in. "You know that Sakura-loves you, don't you? Do you even care about her?" He grabbed Sasuke's collar and pulled him closer. "_Well_, Sasuke?"

Sasuke made no effort to resist. "I… do care about her," he said, his tone very soft and meek. "In fact… I love her too, but… all I do is end up hurting her."

"Then you've got to tell her, Sasuke." said Naruto, releasing his teammate. "Just love her, and it will be enough."

"I… can't, after all I've done to her…"

Naruto sighed, sitting back down. "People say the Uchiha are all geniuses," he said, closing his eyes and concentrating. "But all I see is a fool who can't even understand his own feelings. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to practice."

Sasuke turned, walking away from his teammate. "I've… got to go think."

"Sasuke." Naruto called after his teammate. "We'll have everything sorted out after the chuunin exam, alright?" Through his second sight, Naruto saw Sasuke nod slowly and walk again.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

That evening, Sakura was walking back from the hospital. Sighing, she thought, "_All of that paperwork work today took so long… it's getting dark." _She walked further until she reached the street where Naruto had found her the night before. Seeing a figure in the distance, she stopped in her tracks.

"Sakura-san," said the figure in a soft voice.

"Hinata-san? Is that you?" asked Sakura.

"Sakura-san," Hinata repeated, stepping close enough into view. "Come."

"Huh?" said Sakura, "What do you mean, 'come'."

"If you won't," she said, rushing at Sakura, her Byakugan fully activated, "then I'll come at you!"

"Wha-" was all Sakura had time to say before she met the fierce power of the Juuken. Quickly blocking, she cried, "Hinata-san, what are you doing?"

"Fighting you!" returned Hinata, her voice filled with fury as she threw another fist.

Sakura dodged this one, leaping backwards. "Hinata-san, why are you doing this?" Without receiving an answer, Sakura was forced to dodge another gentle fist. "_It seems like she's not going to listen… my only choice is to subdue her." "_Alright, Hinata-san! No more playing nice. I'm going to fight back!" cried Sakura, leaping into the air, chakra concentrated perfectly in her hand. As the destructive fist came down, Hinata also dodged, but quickly turned and shot another Juuken at her foe.

The battle raged on for hours. It seemed they were evenly matched, for the most part. Hinata was faster, but Sakura, due to her training, was able to dodge more carefully. Eventually, Hinata shouted at her opponent, "This is it, Sakura-san! I'm ending this now!" With those words, she took a wide stance, one foot in front, one in back, with her arms stretched in opposite directions, palms up.

"_Wait a minute," _thought Sakura, "_That stance!" _She recalled the chuunin exam of three years ago, and the move Neji had used on Naruto. "It couldn't be!" she said, her eyes widening.

"Neji-niisan has taught me a few new moves over the years, Sakura-san. And you're within range…" said Hinata, her muscles tensing up. "Of my _divination! Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou (Eight Trigrams, sixty-four palms)!"_ As she began her attack, she cried out the steps. "Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four palms!"

Sakura winced as each attack hit her. Not even her superior dodging could help her avoid this onslaught. But then, right as the last palm was to strike, she turned, glancing the blow off of her and simultaneously smashing Hinata in the knee with her leg.

"_Damn!" _thought Hinata. "_Oh well. Either way, she shouldn't be able to move."_

Sakura heaved heavy breaths. Though she had avoided the last strike, sixty-three of her tenketsu were still closed. "_Come on… concentrate," _she told herself, and willed the very last of her chakra into her fist. Hinata lifted herself up, barely able to keep afoot on her injured knee. Targeting Sakura with her Byakugan, she prepared to attack.

"Why, Sakura-san?" Hinata asked, tears now falling out of her enhanced eyes. "Why did you have to take away my dreams?"

"Wha…" Sakura inhaled deeply, "What are you t-talking about?"

"You kissed Naruto-kun!" Hinata shrieked through sobs,"You were supposed to be in love with Sasuke-san!"

Sakura's eyes widened. "_Is that what this is about? Oh, Hinata-san… I'm sorry, but… I can't explain it to you right now… you won't listen to me anyway." _She ran as fast as she could with her wounded chakra, and her adversary did the same.

This would be the last strike, one way or another.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Meanwhile, Naruto was just about finished practicing his second sight. He looked around for any active chakra in the distance. "_Huh, let's see… there're some people at Ichiraku… oh, and there's Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan… wait… what are they doing? They've both got chakra at their fists…"_ Suddenly, it hit him. "_Oh, no… it couldn't be… I've got to get there as fast as I can!" _Quickly, his eyes flew open and he started to run towards where his two favorite women were fighting. "_Please, let me make it in time…"_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Closer and closer the two moved towards each other, as though in slow motion. Within this second, however, an odd looking kunai landed in between them. The girls heard the names of two techniques afterward.

"_Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying thunder god technique)! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (shadow doppleganger technique)!"_

As the seen exploded with white smoke, a Naruto stopped both Sakura and Hinata. When the smoke cleared, the first thing the clone and the original said was, "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Neither of the women was able to answer for a moment. Then, Sakura said, "It… was just a misunderstanding Naruto." Then, leaning next to the clone's ear, she whispered, "You should talk to her. I'll be fine, but… she needs you."

The clone disappeared, allowing Naruto to know what Sakura had said to him. He nodded, and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "We… need to talk," he said.

Sakura turned to Hinata, said, "Hinata-san… I'm sorry," and then continued walking home.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What happened, Hinata-chan?" asked Naruto on the bench he'd led Hinata to. She was twiddling her thumbs in anxiety and fear at what would happen. "Why were you and Sakura-chan fighting?"

"Because…" Hinata began, but couldn't force the words out.

"Why?"

"B-because…"

"Please, tell me why!"

"B-because she kissed you!" Hinata blurted out. "And… I just g-got so mad, that… I couldn't stop myself…"

Naruto was confused. "Hinata-chan… that kiss was a mistake. She and I both realize that… it wasn't supposed to happen."

Hinata's eyes widened. "It… w-wasn't?"

"No, but regardless… why would you get mad that Sakura-chan kissed me, Hinata?"

Now Hinata was certain of it. She'd dug herself a grave and was about to step headfirst into it. She couldn't lie herself around this one. "Th-the reason, Naruto-kun, is…" she looked into his eyes, eyes that pleaded for an answer. "I g-got mad, because…" her voice got even more quiet than normal. "…I love you."

Certain that he misheard, he asked, "What… did you say?"

"I… love you!" Hinata repeated, her voice much louder. "I love you and I have loved you, ever since we met in the academy!" Her eyes began to sparkle with moisture. "But I was so shy around you that you never noticed me… so I tried to change myself at that chuunine exam, and when you cheered me on, I thought that I did! I love you so much that I get red in the face when I'm around you, and I used to faint from your slightest touch!" Tears were now spilling from her eyes.

"I've loved you for so long, and when we had dinner at Ichiraku, I thought that maybe, you could love me back!" She tried to wipe her tears away, but it was no use. "So when Sakura-san kissed you, I broke down, Naruto-kun. My dreams… everything I'd hoped for was suddenly shattered… and I hated her for it, but I was stupid and attacked her…" She sniffled. "Oh, I'm such a fool, to think you'd ever love me… but you couldn't love me, Naruto-kun, could you?"

He didn't answer for a few seconds. "Hinata… I'm not too bright. There are a lot of questions that are difficult for me to answer. But none of them… have been as tricky as this…"

"Wh-what are you saying?"

"I can't give you an answer right now… I've got the chuunin exam tomorrow… but when that's over, I promise I'll tell you the truth," he said, getting up and turning his back to her. "I'm sorry," was the only thing he said, walking into the distance.

"N-Naruto-kun," she muttered, reaching an arm to try and grab him, but she couldn't reach. "Naruto-kun!" she cried, though it seemed like he was already a million miles away.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Good job using the _Hiraishin no Jutsu," _said a voice in the distance.

"… Thanks," replied Naruto, his voice emotionless. "Love is a hard thing, sensei."

Kakashi frowned sympathetically. "Tell me about it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Woah. Massive drama in this chapter. Oh well. You have Naruto's promise. After the chuunin exam, everything will be settled, I promise! Again, please review, I am inspired by them!


	8. The Chuunin Exam, Part 1

Author's note: Again, the wonderful reviews! I love all of my readers!

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter 8: The Chuunin Exam, pt 1

The next day, Naruto and Sasuke stood outside the entrance to the chuunin exam. Both wore sad expressions on their faces, memories of the day before still ringing in their heads. "You… ready to do this?" asked Naruto.

"…Yeah, I guess," replied Sasuke. "But who's our third person?"

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, shoot! I totally forgot about that! But who could we get now?"

"That would be me!" said a voice from above. Looking towards the ceiling, Naruto and Sasuke saw a spiky-haired youth jump down from the upper level. "That's right, me: Konohamaru, to the rescue!"

Both teammates stared at the boy for a second. "You've gotta be kidding me… what happened to Moegi and Udon?" asked Naruto.

"Ah, they heard that you guys needed a third member and told me to be it!" said Konohamaru enthusiastically. "Besides, you guys need me, right?"

"Hang on, Konohamaru, the chuunin exam is no laughing matter," said Naruto. It's really dangerous, and-"

"No, Naruto, he's right," said Sasuke. "We need a third member and he's it. He's been trained by one of those special jounin right? Besides, he'll be with us, he'll be fine as long as we keep an eye on him."

"Oh, fine," Naruto grumbled, his arms folded. "Now let's go, I don't want to be late for the first part. Come on, Konohamaru."

"Yes, sir!" said Konohamaru, saluting.

The newly formed team walked into the exam room to find that it was the same way it had been three years ago: Packed with entrants to the exam. "Let's not start anything this time, Naruto," said Sasuke, "Let's just take our seats, and-"

"Well, well. I haven't done this for three years and now that I choose to do it, whom do I find? Uzumaki Naruto," said a man behind the three.

"Ibiki-sensei!" yelled Naruto, turning to greet Morino Ibiki.

"You've gotten taller, eh? Well, sit down, you've got an exam to take."

"Right!" said Naruto. Before the three split up to go to their seats, Naruto whispered, "Guys, when you get there, substitute your pencil for the one I'm about to give you."

"Why?" asked Sasuke.

"You'll see."

"Whatever," he said, taking a pencil as Konohamaru did the same.

As the team sat down, Ibiki began explaining the exam. Naruto and Sasuke paid little attention. They knew all about the ten-point rule and that no member of the team must fail. Konohamaru, however, paid strict attention. One thing they didn't know was if the "tenth question" would be different from last time. It was for this reason that Naruto's plan needed to unfold.

Just then, a new rule was added to the previous ones. Ibiki stated, "You will have thirty seconds to confer with your teammates before the exam is done. At that time, you must all have the same answers. If one teammate has a different answer than the others, they will all fail immediately."

The exam began and Sasuke looked over at his questions. He was filled with sudden dread at the remembrance that he didn't know any of the answers to the questions, and it would be difficult to find the right person to mimic with the Sharingan again.

Suddenly, the pencil Naruto gave him began moving on its own, guiding his hand on the paper. It wrote out for him, "_Sasuke. This pencil is a transformed kage bunshin. It'll write down the answers for you and Konohamaru, so don't worry, alright?"_ Sasuke looked over and saw Konohamaru's delighted face, indicating he'd found Naruto's "gift" too. Sasuke was a little skeptical about the notion that Naruto would know the answers… but his view changed when the pencil began writing out the answers, nonstop. A smile on his face, Sasuke hunched over to make the act more convincing.

Eventually, the time came before the end of the exam, and already many teams had been eliminated. "Alright," said Ibiki, "You've all had time to write out your answers. Now confer with your teammates on what you agree the answers to be. You will have your papers checked by the other proctors here."

Each of the teams got up from their seats and recooperated. The classroom was quickly filled with chattering. Sasuke, Konohamaru and Naruto met up and began discussing the exam. "Relax," said Naruto, "It's in the bag. All our answers are already the same anyway, right?"

"Naruto… how can you be so sure?" asked Sasuke. "You've never been a real wiz at paper tests. Hell, you left the last one blank."

"Don't worry, Sasuke. Ero-sennin made sure I'd learned everything I needed to know during my training."

"But… even still…"

"Look, just trust me," said Naruto, a smile appearing on his face. "Alright?"

Peering into his teammate's eyes, Sasuke saw not the expression of a goofball screw up or a failure of a ninja, but… his friend. And then, he realized something. Many of the teams around him were arguing. He heard them yelling at each other, disagreeing on answers. And then immediately knew that Naruto wouldn't let him down. "Okay. I'll trust you."

"Great! How about you, Konohamaru?"

"Anything you say goes, boss!"

The thirty seconds passed and the proctors collected the papers. Then, upon seeing each team's answers, split them into two groups. "The group on the left," said Ibiki, motioning towards Naruto's group, "Passes." Uproar overtook the class. With a swift hand motion, he silenced them. "This exam was an exercise in trust. If you don't trust your teammates on a mission, how can you ever make sure that you're all being efficient? Do you think you'll have time to always be certain about each action? A chuunin who can't trust or forgive his teammates doesn't deserve to be a chuunin."

"_That's right…" _thought Sasuke, a smile appearing on his face. "_No matter the skill, a truly great shinobi is one who can forgive a mistake…"_

"That being said, those who fail should leave the room at this moment," continued Ibiki as the disappointed teams left the area. "Now then, those who pass, please wait for- Oh, here she comes now…"

With a loud crash through the window, a large ball of cloth unwrapped itself, revealing the proctor of the second exam. "Okay, everyone, no time to celebrate! I'm the proctor for the next portion of the test, Mitarashi Ank-"

"Do you realize that we have to replace that window every single time?" Ibiki cut in.

"Ah, Ibiki-san… you've totally ruined my entry!" complained Anko. "Anyway, I'm Mitarashi Anko. You all can follow me."

"She's still as crazy as ever, eh?" whispered Naruto to Sasuke who silently agreed. The group of passing teams followed Anko towards the second part of the test, the Forest of Death, where Anko explained what the situation and its dangers. Grinning, Naruto placed his hands on his rear and began taunting Anko. "Ooh, 'beware the forest, many have come out dead'! You're just trying to scare us with that act."

As Naruto had expected, the proctor had moved around behind Naruto, a kunai against his cheek. "Your type are the first to go, spilling this warm, rich blo- huh?" suddenly, Naruto disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. "_A kage bunshin?" _she thought, feeling the coldness and sharpness of a kunai on her own cheek.

"Funny, I don't see any of my own blood being spilled," said Naruto, cutting her cheek slightly, "And now we're even. Let's get going with the exam." He stepped away from her as the other entrants whispered "ooh's" and "ah's". Even Sasuke couldn't suppress a grin and Konohamaru just looked on in awe.

"This kid… what did he do over the past three years?" thought Anko, rubbing her wound to stop the flow of blood. Sighing, she proceeded to give out the rest of the instructions. Naruto's team received a Heaven scroll as they were handed out. The teams were led toward their starting gates. "Okay… go!" she called, and the entryways flew open. 

"This is going to be easy as hell!" called Naruto to his other teammates as they bounded through the forest, "I mean, we got through last time, and now we're so much stronger, it should be a breeze!"

Sasuke Nodded. "Yeah, especially since we won't run into any giant snakes this time around…"

Naruto gave Sasuke a worried look, "But there's still the matter of…"

"I know," said Sasuke quietly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh, damn it, another Heaven scroll…" said Naruto. "This is the third one we've found in a row and it's getting late!"

"We'd better stop for the day," said Konohamaru, tired after this battle. "We'll have a disadvantage at night."

"Right," said Naruto, "Let's set up camp." Naruto had some bunshin gather wood for a fire. As Sasuke was about to light it, Naruto put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait a minute, Sasuke. Let me take this one." Performing the seals, he thought, "_Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!)"_ Upon finishing, the tremendous flame shot out of Naruto's mouth and ignited the wood, creating a well-sized fire.

Sasuke stared in shock. "Wha… how did you… when did you…?"

"It's just something I was working on these past four months," said Naruto smugly.

They sat down after preparing everything, neither Sasuke nor Naruto feeling sleepy. Konohamaru had fallen asleep a short while before. "So," Naruto began after a few moments, "What are you going to do about Sakura-chan?"

"… Nothing," replied Sasuke, facing away from his teammate.

"What?" asked Naruto in disbelief, "What do you mean, 'nothing'?"

"Just that," said Sasuke, "I mean I plan on not being with her romantically."

"Wh-Why?" Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Because I'll just hurt her more. Everything I do seems to hurt her…"

"That's because you're not taking time to think about her!" cried Naruto angrily, waking Konohamaru who found it strange that his teammates were now arguing loudly.

"Of course I think about her!" said Sasuke indignantly, "I've been thinking about her every day since I got back!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's just…"

"Just what?"

"She… doesn't want me… she doesn't want me to hurt her anymore."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders. "You think you know what she wants? Sasuke, you haven't known her for three years! You couldn't possibly know what she wants!" He released his grip. "Please, talk to her… talk to her and end this. It's been going on long enough and I'm sick of it."

"… You're right," said Sasuke after a pause. "Absolutely right… I've been stupid this entire time… what I've wanted was right in front of me the whole time…" He looked at Naruto, his eyes sorrowful. "But… I don't want to hurt her anymore."

"Do you love her?" asked Naruto.

"More than anything in the world."

"Then you won't hurt her. Just love her and both of you will be happy."

Sasuke smiled at these words. "… Thanks, Naruto."

"I do hate to break up your little chit-chat," said a cold voice from the bushes. "But we really need to take Naruto-kun with us."

"_That voice…" _thought Naruto, looking toward the direction he'd heard it from, "_It can't be!"_

"Itachi!" cried Sasuke, glaring at his brother and the shark-like partner behind him.

"Ah, I take it you want me to show you how weak you are again?" said Itachi, smiling evilly at his younger brother. "Then let me show you quickly!" He rushed at Sasuke, a mass of chakra focused in his fist.

"No!" cried Naruto, who stepped in front of Sasuke and took the blow straight in the face, sending him flying backwards out of sight.

"Naruto!" called Sasuke as Konohamaru looked on, frightened. "Naruto, are you alright?" He received no answer. He hoped that there would be a puff of white smoke, or that Naruto would come back, charging angrily, perhaps yelling something ridiculous at Itachi.

But he never came.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said softly, looking on in the distance. "It… It… can't be."

"_The fool doesn't know that we can't kill him for our organization's purposes," _thought Itachi. "Kisame. Go check on the body."

"Right," said Kisame, sneering at his partner's sibling.

"You see how weak you are?" Itachi asked Sasuke, his grin becoming smugger. "You can't protect anyone. You couldn't protect your mother. You couldn't protect your father. And now, you couldn't even protect your own best friend." Itachi approached Sasuke, who was still facing away from his brother. "And now, because of your own weakness, you will die. It's simple as that." The older sibling lifted his hand, preparing to make the killing blow. With one thrust he attacked, attempting to rip out his brother's throat as he finally turned to face him. But suddenly, Itachi's hand stopped. Confused, he began. "What are you doi-"

"It's true. I couldn't protect mother or father. I couldn't protect anyone in the clan. I couldn't even protect Naruto." Sasuke's grip around Itachi's hand tightened as he stared at the floor. "But now, I'm going to make sure that you never hurt anyone ever again." Lifting his face for Itachi to see, Itachi's eyes widened.

"It… can't be!"

"It is. _Mangekyou Sharingan!" _cried Sasuke, the veins in his eye bulging. Itachi jumped back, fearing the effects of the eye. "Konohamaru. Get back," instructed Sasuke, and the young genin did as was told, quickly scampering into the brush behind him. "What's the matter, Itachi? Are you afraid of me?"

"_Amazing… he not only achieved the capability to use the Mangekyou, but he also figured out how to use it in such a short time!" _thought Itachi, _"But he shouldn't have such great control of it… yet." _"Well, little brother, I told you to come before me when you had eyes like mine. Now is the time," he said, rushing at Sasuke and flinging a kunai, "for me to test my true limits!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ugh… I feel like I just got trampled by a bull…" said Naruto a few minutes later. He opened his eyes to see the Samehada hovering over him by a few inches. "Woah!" he yelled, rolling out of the way and to his feet.

"Well, well. Looks like you woke up a bit early," said Kisame, lifting his sword. "No matter. I'll take you all the same."

"Go ahead and try!" taunted Naruto.

"I plan to. Hey, kyuubi boy…" Kisame said, molding his chakra. "I hear you've got quite the supply of stamina. I'm known to have a good amount myself. Let's see who's got more, shall we?"

"Whatever," replied Naruto, placing his hands into a cross shape. "_Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Mass Shadow Clone Technique!)"_

Kisame looked on with a sneer as the thousands of Naruto doppelgangers appeared. He readied the Samehada and leapt to attack. They disappeared as he swiped at them, a huge cloud of smoke rising. One of the clones was able to disarm Kisame, throwing the Samehada into the smoke. "Huh! Pesky little brat!" he said, quickly searching for his sword. After feeling around for it for a moment, he located the handle and picked it up.

The smoke cleared, and Naruto was nowhere to be found. "_I see," _thought Kisame, _"The bunshin were just a distraction so that he could hide himself in this thick forest…"_ "Alright, kid, I've got no time for this. Let's make this easier on both of us and just come out, okay?"

Suddenly, Naruto's voice appeared from every direction. "You'd"

"Like"

"That,"

"Wouldn't"

"You?"

"_Are there bunshin hiding in the forest?"_ Kisame thought, trying to figure out Naruto's strategy. "_Or is he just using the art of the cicada: the voice throwing technique?"_

Naruto's voice broke out again.

"Come"

"Find"

"Me"

"Already,"

"That"

"Is"

"If"

"You"

"Can."

"Fine, kid! You asked for it!" shouted Kisame, lunging at a bush. As he swiped the plant away, he saw that he had not found Naruto, but instead a kunai with an explosive tag on it and a note reading: "Sorry!" Leaping backwards, Kisame narrowly avoided the blast.

"Nope,"

"Incorrect,"

"Care"

"To"

"Try"

"Again?"

Kisame was becoming frustrated. Forming handseals, he cried, "_Suiton: Bakusui Souha! (Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!)" _A mass amount of water erupted from Kisame's mouth, drenching the entire area in water. When the flood subsided, there was still no sign of Naruto.

"Wrong"

"Again."

"Looks"

"Like"

"Your"

"Precious"

"Sword"

"Isn't"

"Much"

"Help."

Teeth clenched in rage, Kisame called, "Kid, when I find you, I'm going to shave your arms and legs off!"

"Getting"

"A"

"Bit"

"Angry,"

"Aren't"

"We?"

"You"

"Really"

"Want"

"To"

"Know"

"Where"

"I"

"Am?"

"Sure,"

"I'll"

"Tell"

"You."

"I'm"

"Right"

"Here!" cried the Samehada in a puff of smoke as the _henge (transformation) _was undone. Naruto popped out of the smoke, a Rasengan in his hand. "I don't need to use the full power on you!" he yelled immediately before plunging the jutsu into Kisame's chest. "_Rasengan!" _

Kisame went flying, hitting several trees before crashing to a halt against a boulder. Naruto didn't bother checking whether he was dead or not. "Serves you right!" He called. Just then, he remembered something important. "Oh, right! Sasuke and Itachi!" With those words, he broke into a full run toward the area where the brothers were fighting.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I'm amazed at your growth, I really am," said Itachi, panting from the battle. "But you're still too weak to defeat me."

"Shut up!" yelled Sasuke. "I'm going to stop you here and now!"

"You mean 'We're going to stop you'!" called a voice.

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. As he turned, his hopes were confirmed. "Naruto! You're… alive!"

"You bet I am!" replied Naruto, landing alongside his teammate. "A measly little punch like that couldn't take me down. Besides," Naruto gestured towards his abdomen, "They can't kill me. They need this."

"So Kisame was defeated…" Itachi said, nonplussed. "Well, I should have expected that of the kyuubi jinchuuriki."

"Naruto, you can't fight him!" Sasuke warned. "He'll use the _Mangekyou Sharingan _on you if he just catches a glimpse of your eye!"

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry. It's not like I've been doing nothing these past four months!" Closing his eyes and centering his chakra, he called forth his second sight. "There… now I can take him. Eh?" Naruto noticed something odd. The chakra from Sasuke's eyes was the same as the chakra from Itachi's. "Sasuke… you've got the _Mangekyou _too!"

Sasuke nodded. "I… thought you had died, and… it was my fault. Because of that, I have these eyes. But since you're alive, we can now easily take him."

"Don't worry," said Naruto. "I'll let you have the finishing blow."

A smile on his face, Sasuke leapt at his brother, Naruto following closely behind and Konohamaru watching a safe distance away.

The battle raged on. Itachi avoided using the _Mangekyou _because it would drain his strength. At the same time, he wondered how Sasuke could be using it for so long… when did his brother gain this much strength? Yet he needed to avoid his younger brother's eyes, or else he may be caught by their power. "This is over," said Itachi, deciding his move. _"Amaterasu (Shining Heaven)_!" His eyes becoming the kaleidoscope, the black flame shot out from them.

"Sasuke! Don't touch that flame!" called Naruto. "It's hotter than the sun and will burn for seven days. Let me handle it!"

"Right!" answered Sasuke, holding off Itachi while Naruto prepared his scroll. "_He just used a big technique, so he should be weakened now…" "Chidori!"_ cried Sasuke, preparing his attack. Sasuke launched himself at Itachi, who hadn't been ready for this strike because of his previous move, and barely managed to avoid a fatal blow. Instead, Itachi's arm had been severely injured by the attack. "Can you still fight, Itachi?" asked Sasuke after he stopped. "Your arm muscles are severed. You can't use hand seals. Are you sure you can press on like this, or do you want to just give up and answer for your crimes?"

"I can kill you easily with one hand alone," said Itachi.

"My ass you can!" said Naruto, clamping his arms around Itachi from behind. "Now, Sasuke! Finish it! Take his head off!"

"What!" cried Itachi genuinely frightened now, "But you were sealing the fire from Amaterasu!"

"You know, for a member of the Uchiha clan, you're pretty dumb," taunted Naruto. "I've mastered the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_, so I can easily have one seal some fire like that."

"Good one, Naruto…" said Sasuke, walking slowly toward his brother, _Mangekyou _still active. "Now, Itachi… it's time to answer for every crime you've ever committed. _Tsukiyomi(Moon reader)!"_

Instantly, Itachi was transported to the inter-dimensional plane of the _Mangekyou_. "Itachi," said a booming voice from the sky. "It is time for your punishment."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Naruto watched from his second sight as Sasuke focused his eyes on Itachi. After about a second, Itachi moaned in anguish and became limp in Naruto's grip. "Is… it over?" can I open my eyes yet?"

"Yeah, it's over," Sasuke said quietly.

As his eyelids flew open, Naruto released Itachi, who slumped on the ground, eyes barely open. Naruto saw that they were no longer Sharingan. He also noticed that Itachi was still breathing. "Wait," said Naruto, "He's… alive? You didn't get your revenge!"

Sasuke looked at his friend, a smile on his face. "I didn't need it. In the end, during that split second you saw me use the technique, I realized that I didn't want revenge. There was no point. Instead, I realized that there's something even more important than revenge."

"What's that?"

"Protecting those you love. Hatred doesn't breed power. Anger doesn't give you strength. When you're defending something you love… you can become infinitely strong." Sasuke's mind flashed back to Naruto's fight with Gaara, and how even though the odds were one hundred to one against him, Naruto still pushed through and defeated the mighty Shukaku, all because of how much he wanted to protect Sakura. "And so, I robbed him of strength. I eliminated anything in his possession that could possibly cause anyone harm. He's snake bait now."

Naruto smiled. "I'm glad, Sasuke. Now come on, we've got an exam to finish."

"Th-that was… amazing!" cried Konohamaru, leaping from his hiding place. "You guys were incredible! Those moves, those skills! That was insane! You totally creamed that guy!" As Naruto and Sasuke grinned at each other, Konohamaru sighed. "Wow. I hope I can become like you guys one day!"

"I'm sure you will," said Sasuke.

Suddenly, three figures leapt out of the brushes. "Hand over your heaven scroll if you don't want to d- Oh, no way, I can't believe it," said one of the figures. "You guys again!"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the three rain ninja that had appeared. "Oh, hey! You're the guys that we beat down three years ago," said Naruto. "You still haven't become chuunin? That's pathetic."

"Let me handle these guys, boss!" said Konohamaru, biting down slightly on his finger. Performing the seals and planting his hand into the ground, he cried, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summong Technique!)" _A large ape appeared from the spot where Konohamaru had performed the move.

As the rain ninja stared at the ape, one of them said to the leader, "We're done for, aren't we?"

A minute later, Naruto's team had acquired an Earth scroll.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"_Where… am I?" _Itachi asked himself. The last thing he remembered was Sasuke using his _Mangekyou _on him. "_What happened after that?"_

"Itachi…" said a voice.

"Who's there?" he called into the surrounding mist.

"Why, Itachi…?" asked another voice.

"Why did you do it…?" said yet another.

"Do what? Answer me!" The voices seemed so familiar…

Suddenly, the mist cleared. All around Itachi were people he thought he'd never see again: his dead family.

"Sasuke brought you here… so that we may have our vengeance…" said Itachi's father, a bloody cut on his neck.

"Because you betrayed us, we now must have justice…" said Shisui, Itachi's ex-best friend.

"No!" cried Itachi, trying to back away. But it was no use. He was surrounded. Closer and closer they came, and there was nowhere for him to go. "Stay back… don't come nearer! Noooo!" Itachi's screams echoed in the void as his relatives' spirits enveloped him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Well, that's that. Itachi and Kisame are finished. Next up: The final part of the Chuunin exam! The resolution with Hinata and Sakura! Don't miss it! Please review, it really helps me get moving along when writing!


	9. The Chuunin Exam, Part 2

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! You may have noticed that Itachi and Sasuke were a tad out of character. This was purposeful. Keep in mind that Sasuke's emotions are still wacky because of his return to Konoha and the dealie with Sakura. Also, he's found a new way to look at his situation with Itachi. But don't worry; Sasuke's attitude will be back soon enough. As for Itachi, he seems calm most of the time, but when dealing with his brother, he's quite hateful. He also came face to face with the weapon he used on his own brother that shattered his mind _twice. _Oh, well, you're probably already bored with this long, rambling note. On to the story!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Chapter 9: The Chuunin exam, pt 2

"I forgot to mention, nice one on the summoning back there, Konohamaru!' said Naruto as the team leapt towards the tower in the center of the forest. "When did you learn to do it?"

"Ebisu-sensei taught me a few months ago. The primate-summoning scroll was passed down in my family… Gramps used to be able to summon the monkey king, King Enma of the Nyoi-bo!"

"I'm just amazed you were able to get it down so quickly. It took me forever to be able to summon frogs! For a whole month, I was just summoning tadpoles."

"He's just got better chakra control than you do, Naruto," inserted Sasuke, "But that's not saying much, considering that a rock has better chakra control than you do."

"What did you say, stupid?" asked Naruto angrily, clenching his teeth.

"Something a little too complicated for you."

"Gah!" yelled Naruto, trying to get at Sasuke while Konohamaru held him back.

Konohamaru struggled, but eventually Naruto calmed down. "Come on, boss! Let's just get to the tower and then you guys can fight!"

"Yeah, I guess," said Naruto grumpily, folding his arms and turning away from Sasuke. Each of them hid a smile from the other.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

As they entered the tower, the three reached for the scrolls and pulled them open in front of the chuunin directive. Iruka popped out of thin air and said, "Hey guys. You sure finished this one a lot faster than last time."

"Well, we've just gotten a lot stronger, Iruka-sensei!" said Naruto happily.

"Yeah, I see. I'll take you out for ramen to celebrate… I assume you guys remember what the chuunin directive means?" he said, pointing toward the scroll on the wall. As Sasuke and Naruto nodded, he continued. "Good, good. But what about you, Konohamaru? Have you figured it out?"

Konohamaru smiled brightly, displaying his chipped tooth. "Yeah! The chuunin directive was set down by the Third Hokage! It means that to be a great chuunin, you've got to have qualities of both heaven and earth, meaning that you need to be good in the body as well in the mind."

"The latter of which Naruto lacks," said Sasuke, seeing Naruto grumble.

Iruka nodded. "Very good. Ebisu has taught you well."

"Nah," said Konohamaru shaking his head, "Gramps used to talk about it a lot."

"I see," said Iruka, a nostalgic smile on his face. "Well, you three pass this portion of the exam, congratulations! Now head in, the next part of the exam is about to begin." The three continued onward, leaving Iruka behind them. "_They've grown so much in the past three years… I can barely recognize them, and yet I still see their youthful faces,"_ Iruka thought, "_It makes me so proud to be a teacher."_

"I wonder if we'll have prelims this time," said Naruto as they stepped into the room.

"Nah, I doubt it," said Sasuke, "This year's applicants don't seem as good as we were."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Prelims? What are you guys talking about?" Konohamaru asked.

"Well, when Sasuke, Sakura-chan and I first took the chuunin exams, we had a really good group," explained Naruto. "All nine of us from our academy years, and three from the year above made it to the finals. But because the rules say that the final can only have single digit figures for applicants, they held some preliminary rounds. But we think they're not going to have them this year."

Naruto was proven right when, including the temporary Team Seven, only eight applicants appeared in the area to meet Tsunade and their jounin. Kakashi was late, as usual. "_Eight?" _wondered Sasuke as he counted the rest, "_Let's see… the three of us Konoha… three Sand, must be Temari's group, a cloud, and a rain. Their teammates must have died or gotten severely injured getting the scrolls."_

"Alright, listen up," said Tsunade. "Congratulations on passing the first and second parts of the chuunin exam. We'll now move on to the final round," she paused for dramatic effect. "The tournament-style final!"

The three sand ninja, the cloud and rain-nin, and Konohamaru all gasped. Tsunade smiled at their surprise. "The reason it is a tournament is for you to showcase your abilities and talent for the various spectators there, such as the feudal lords, the Kazekage and, of course, yours truly. Therefore, even if you lose in your first round, you may still become a chuunin, depending on how hard you fight."

"_And I bet most of you will," _she thought, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke. "Conversely, even if you win the tournament, you may not become a chuunin at all. So hold nothing back! Let everyone see what you can do!" She gestured towards Anko who held the slip box. "Anko's coming around with the random lot-drawing, so take one when she comes to you."

The eight of them drew their numbers and called them out, one by one. "Two," said Naruto.

"Eight," said Sasuke.

"Five," said Konohamaru.

"Three," said the rain shinobi.

"Seven" said the cloud ninja.

The sand ninja each drew four, one, and five respectively. After Ibiki finished drawing the chart, he presented it to thee eight of them, saying "Memorize who you're fighting. The list is final, barring anyone who wants to drop out."

"The final is in one month. Train up, learn some new skills, and good luck," said Tsunade. "That is all. You're dismissed." The eight genin began to leave the room, but Tsunade stopped Naruto for a moment. "Naruto," she whispered. "What happened with Itachi?"

He smiled his foxy smile. "Don't worry. We've settled it."

She returned his expression. "I knew you would. Now go, find Kakashi, he hasn't shown up yet."

Naruto caught up with Sasuke and Konohamaru and the three walked out of the building. "Man, I'm fighting one of those sand-ninja! I bet Gaara'll be amused when I beat him!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Gaara? Gaara of the desert? Why is he coming?"

"Oh, that's right!" said Naruto, snapping his fingers in realization. "Gaara's the Kazekage now."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope. I was surprised too when I heard it. Those Akatsuki bastards took the Shukaku out of him, so he nearly died. But we were able to save him and everyone was glad for him to be back."

"_So Gaara's achieved his dream," _mused Sasuke, "_I guess he must have changed after Naruto defeated him… almost everyone he's fought seems to."_

Suddenly, a puff of smoke filled the hall as they were about to exit. Kakashi appeared when it subsided, book in hand and no emotion on his face as usual. "Yo!" he said, waving. "I see you guys made it. No surprise there."

"Sensei… not even a congratulation?" whined Naruto.

"Oh, alright. Good job, you three," he replied, smiling his one-eyed smile. "Now, Konohamaru, go and meet with Ebisu. He told me he wants to train you for the last part of the exam. I'll take these guys."

"Yes sir!" said Konohamaru enthusiastically and bounded off to meet his teacher.

"Now, you two," continued Kakashi after the younger boy had left. "Meet me in one hour at the place where you first became genin. I've got something to do before then."

"Meaning we should be there in about five hours," said Sasuke. Naruto chuckled.

"Clever as always, Sasuke," said Kakashi, "But I'll try my best to be on time this time, for sure."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Um…" said Hinata nervously, standing next to Sakura near the Hokage building.

"Did you say something, Hinata-chan?" asked Sakura.

"Er… I was just wondering what Kakashi-sensei wanted to talk to us about, that's all."

"I'm sure it's nothing… but he's late again!" Sakura complained, balling her fists in annoyance.

Sakura and Hinata's relationship had changed since their fight over the "big misunderstanding" as they now called it. The day after it, Sakura had found Hinata on the bench where Naruto had last talked to her, curled up in sleep, tear stains on her eyes.

"_Hinata-san?" asked Sakura, seeing the other girl's sleeping form._

"_Unh?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes groggily. She noticed that the woman she'd fought a hard battle with the day before was standing over her. "Oh, S-Sakura-san…" she quickly sat up, but stared at her feet. "I… I wanted to say that I'm sorry… I shouldn't have attacked you yesterday…"_

_Hinata felt a hand on her shoulder. To her surprise, when she looked up, she saw Sakura smiling. "Don't worry about it, Hinata-san. It was just a big misunderstanding… you were upset because you were about to lose what you love forever, right?" Hinata nodded slowly. "I know what that's like. When Sasuke-kun left three years ago, I was devastated… I wanted to cry and hit something too, but there wasn't anyone for me to do something."_

"_Sakura-san…"_

"_Let's not let this be the end of things, shall we? We're both friends with Naruto… I think we should be friends with each other, too." The pink-haired girl extended her right hand towards Hinata. "What do you say?"_

_Hinata was tentative at first, but shook the outstretched hand nonetheless. "Thank you… Sakura-san."_

"_Hey, don't mention it. Come on, let's get some food… you look like you haven't eaten since last night," said Sakura, lifting Hinata up. _"Poor girl," _she thought, "_She's going through exactly what I went through… well, what I needed most back then was a friend, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to give one to her!" _The two walked to a restaurant and ate happily._

"Hey," said Kakashi, appearing behind them.

Hinata jumped in surprise and Sakura screamed "Kakashi-sensei, don't do that to me!"

"Sorry," said Kakashi, though his voice displayed no amount of emotion. "Anyway, let's get down to the reason I'm here." His tone suddenly became serious. "I can't have either of you seeing Sasuke or Naruto during this month."

Both the girls' eyes widened. "What?" asked Sakura, "Why not?"

"Because both of them need to concentrate on the upcoming final," said Kakashi. "It's important for them to be focused."

"But, sensei," protested Sakura, "They're already much stronger than they need to be to be chuunin! So what if they don't get a bit of training in?"

"This isn't just about this exam," said Kakashi, "After this, I want them to become jounin and then ANBU." He looked Sakura in the eye. "You should focus on this goal too, Sakura. But your training needs to be different… consult Tsunade-sama. Medical ninja take a different exam for jounin and ANBU."

"_Wow…" _thought Hinata, "_Naruto-kun, the ANBU? Amazing…" _she sighed, imagining his body in the ANBU uniform.

Kakashi continued. "Anyway, I've got to get going. I need to reserve some tickets to a movie. I'll see you later."

"Wait, sensei!" called Sakura.

"Yes?"

Her voice lowered. "What happened… with Itachi?"

Kakashi smiled. "I saw them after the exam. Both of them looked better than I've seen them in years, so I'll assume everything's fine."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

The smile still on his face, Kakashi bounded away, leaving the two girls alone once more. "Um… Sakura-chan?" said Hinata. "What did you mean, 'what happened with Itachi'?"

"Here… let's sit down, and I'll explain everything to you."

"Okay…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ugh… where is he?" Naruto asked impatiently. It had already been an hour and a half, but Kakashi still hadn't shown up.

"Late, as usual," said Sasuke.

"Man… I want to go talk to Hinata… I need to tell her something."

"Sorry, Naruto, but you'll get no chance of that for a while," said Kakashi, appearing before them.

"Sensei! You're late _again_! You said you'd be here early this time!" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the impassive Kakashi.

"Calm down, it's only a half hour."

"What's your excuse this time, Kakashi?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, they announced a trilogy of movies for the _Make Out_ series, and I had quite a line to wait in," answered Kakashi, the book of the same name in his hand. "But that's not important. For this month, you will undergo training much more difficult than that of what you practiced for four months."

"Woah," said Naruto, "What kind of training is this?"

"It's simple, really. Naruto, Sasuke. Fight each other."

No one moved for a moment. "Fight… each other?" asked Naruto, confused.

"Why the hesitation? The easiest way to get better is to fight someone of around equal skill as you. For now, use only taijutsu. We'll work on the other stuff later."

"Alright then," said Sasuke, "Here I come, Naruto!" he yelled, throwing a fist at his teammate.

"Wah!" Naruto barely had time to dodge the punch before counterattacking.

The two continued like this for hours on end, never pausing, until Kakashi said. "Alright you guys, stop for a moment and let me join."

"Huh?" said Naruto, lowering his leg from kicking position. "You mean you're going to teach us some taijutsu moves?"

"Nah," said Kakashi, stretching himself out a bit. "It just looks like a lot of fun. Think fast!" Kakashi moved seamlessly, giving both of his students little more than a split second to react. After a few more hours of this, Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan and called, "Okay, now feel free to use non-devastating ninjutsu and genjutsu."

"Non-devastating?" asked Sasuke.

"No _Chidori_ or _Rasengan_."

"Gotcha."

The three continued sparring, until they were caught in a triangle-stalemate; Kakashi had fist toward Sasuke, whose foot was an inch from Naruto, whose knee was close near to Kakashi's spine. As their eyes met, they each began performing hand seals, until finally, each of them thought:

"_Katon (Fire release)!"_

"_Fuuton (Wind release)!"_

"_Raiton (Lightning Release)!"_

The resulting explosion from the elemental collision blew the three backwards, leaving them sprawled on their backs, all smiling. "Whoo," said Naruto, catching his breath, "That was intense."

"Yeah," said Sasuke.

"Mm," agree Kakashi, pulling down his forehead protector back over his Sharingan. "That's it for today. The sun is going down, so rest up and be prepared for tomorrow. Meet me here at six o'clock next morning." Nodding, the two got up and left. "Wait a second, Naruto."

"Hm?" said Naruto, turning around as Sasuke kept walking. "Whatcha need, sensei?"

"I forgot to ask this a few days ago, but," began Kakashi, "When'd you come up with the _Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)_?"

"Oh," said Naruto as he realized why Kakashi was asking this. "Eh, Ero-sennin told me about it during our training three years ago… I'd kept trying to do it, but I'd never really mastered it until that night."

"_Typical Naruto," _thought Kakashi, "_always coming through in a pinch."_ "Well, once again, good job."

"Thanks, sensei!" said Naruto cheerfully. "Oh! There's something I forgot! Sasuke got that _Mangekyou Sharingan_ thingy in the forest while we were fighting Itachi and Kisame."

"Ah. Let me guess," said Kakashi, "It looked like one of them had killed you, so Sasuke felt guilty and thought that, in essence, he'd done it, so he was able to unlock it."

"Uh… yeah," said Naruto, eyebrows raised. "How'd you know, sensei?"

"Something similar happened to me," explained Kakashi. "I take it Itachi's dead now?"

Naruto smiled. "Actually, no. At the last moment, Sasuke realized that revenge was worthless, I guess."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Though he did do something with his Sharingan to make Itachi fall unconscious on the ground. I guess that's expected."

"Indeed,' said Kakashi. "I'm very glad to hear that. And I'm proud of both of you."

"Both of us? Why me?"

"You helped out in the fight, right? I hope you didn't stand around while Konohamaru fought of an Akatsuki member."

Chuckling, Naruto responded, "Nah, he hid in the bushes. But I guess I did do well. I've sure gotten strong!"

"Yes, you definitely have," said Kakashi. _"But what you don't realize is that it's your influence that stopped Sasuke from killing his brother. It was because of you that Sasuke was able to put aside his lust for Itachi's blood that he's held on to for eight years. You'll be a great Hokage, Naruto; in power as well as leadership."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The day of the tournament finally arrived. Sasuke and Naruto entered met with Konohamaru and the other applicants. They were led to the center of the arena by Shiranui Genma, who then announced the rules. "Listen up. The rules are as follows: There are none, essentially. You may fight using whatever skills you'd like until your opponent is dead or gives up. When there is a clear winner, however, I will stop the fight. Now, everyone except the applicants exit the field and go up to the waiting area."

"Good luck," said Sasuke as he passed Naruto.

"Won't need it." Both of them grinned.

The sand-nin and Naruto faced each other with Genma between them. "Applicants ready?" The two nodded. "Alright. Begin!"

With a quick look in each other's eyes, Naruto and the sand ninja flung kunai at each other that swiftly struck each other and flew to the side. "I'll put you down easy!" yelled Naruto, summoning a few kage bunshin.

"Only a fool talks like that!" returned the sand ninja.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Hinata and Sakura sat next to Shikamaru and Temari. "Your kid's got no chance," said Shikamaru. "I'd put all my money on Naruto."

"Well, duh," said Temari. "Naruto _was _able to beat Gaara. I don't think any genin out there could defeat him. Besides, our agreement is that my team won't be eliminated by a leaf."

"You two are betting on the chuunin exam?" asked Sakura disbelievingly. "Isn't that a little… underhanded?"

"Not when you know your side's going to win!" replied Temari, grinning slyly at Shikamaru.

"Yeah, so why did _you _bet?" returned the lazy shinobi.

"Oh, you're so clever," the blonde said mockingly.

The four of them were sitting next to Izumo and Kotetsu. "Oh, hey, isn't that that Naruto kid who defeated that Hyuuga boy three years ago?" asked Kotetsu.

"Yeah, I think so," said Izumo. "Looks like he's gotten bigger."

"Faster, too," commented Kotetsu. "He's not even using _that_ chakra yet."

"Naruto-kun, do your best!" Hinata said quietly.

"Ah, don't worry, Hinata-chan," Sakura reassured her, "Naruto's way stronger than every one of these guys except Sasuke-kun. In fact, I'd worry more about that sand guy … looks like he's about to lose anyway."

As she said this, Naruto plowed into the sand-nin, yelling, "_Rasengan!" _As the sand ninja flew backwards into the wall, getting knocked unconscious in the process, the stadium went silent.

"Was… was that what I think it was?" asked Izumo, stunned.

"It… sure looked like it… and it had the same effect."

"Then… that was the Fourth's _Rasengan?"_

"I think he's passed already, don't you think, Kazekage-sama?" said Tsunade to Gaara in their special seats. "He's already shown skills up and beyond that required of a genin. He's used an S-rank and an A-rank move already."

"I don't really see why you had him take this test in the first place. It's obvious he should be at least jounin by now," replied Gaara. "And please, just Gaara is fine, Hokage-sama."

"Very well then, Gaara-sama. But you know how it is, regulation and everything. If I just made him a chuunin or jounin, there would be complaints, and I already have enough of a headache from people whining as it is."

"Ah," Gaara said simply, a slight amused smile on his face

Back on the field, Naruto called to Genma, "Hey, proctor! Can you announce the winner now?"

Genma closed his previously gaping mouth. "Oh, right… the, uh, winner is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Cheers broke out from the audience and Naruto ran around as he did three years ago, blowing kisses to his new fans. After a few seconds of this, he quickly leapt up to the waiting area.

"He did it!" cried Hinata excitedly. "I'm so glad!"

"See? Told you," said Sakura, "Naruto's got this thing in the bag."

"One down," said Shikamaru.

"Still two to go," Temari answered.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

A few minutes later, Temari's other student had been defeated by the rain-nin as well, though she did put up a very good fight. Her opponent was panting by the time their fight was over.

Shikamaru grinned. "Looks like that one hundred ryou is mine."

"Nah, just wait," Temari said confidently.

The next match began: Konohamaru versus Temari's last student. "Great, now that those two have failed, I'm the only one left," he grumbled, walking towards Genma and Konohamaru. "Oh well… this shouldn't be so hard."

"I can hear you, you know!" yelled Konohamaru angrily. "Ah, whatever! Proctor, start the match, already!"

"You got it. Begin!"

The stadium was filled with murmurs; people kept saying things like, "Oh, this'll be a good match, that's the third's grandson," or, "Oh, hey, Konohamaru's fighting! This should be good."

The match began. Konohamaru rushed up to his opponent, throwing a wild kick at him. He ducked, returning the strike with a dodged kunai strike. They traded blow after blow, no significant attacks being landed. "I'm getting tired of this…" said Konohamaru after a few minutes. Biting down on his thumb and performing hand seals, he bellowed, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!' _A burst of smoke, and a four-foot monkey wielding a sword leapt towards the sand ninja.

"Woah," he muttered, dodging the sword just enough to only have his hair be cut. "Kuchiyose, eh? Not bad, but also not good enough." He too bit down on his thumb and performed the seals. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" _This time, out of the smoke came the scythe-wielding weasel, which flung itself at the monkey. Their weapons clashed and they remained locked in combat.

"The _kamaitachi_?" questioned Shikamaru. "You taught him that move?"

"Surprised?" asked Temari.

"No, not really."

Eventually, the two summoned beasts jumped backwards and flew at each other once more. This time, when they clashed, they cut each other up, disappearing in a puff of smoke. The sand ninja took advantage of this, appearing behind Konohamaru, saying, "It's over."

"_Oiroke no jutsu (Sexy Technique)!"_

"What th-" He was confused. Moments before, his opponent had been there. And now, in his place, was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen… _naked. _"Wh-what's going on…?" he whispered, blood dripping down his nose.

"Fool!" shouted the transformed Konohamaru, reverting to his regular form and slamming his fist straight into his foe's face, rendering him unconscious.

As the audience realized what had just occurred, they broke into laughter. Everyone was roaring except for Temari, who stood with her mouth agape, and Gaara, who didn't really laugh much at all.

"Oh my…" said Hinata when she stopped giggling.

"_That Naruto," _thought Sakura shaking her head, "_Who knew his stupid, perverted technique would actually come in handy?"_

After Shikamaru finished laughing, he said, "Didn't your students get any emotional training?"

"Well, yes…" said Temari quietly, "But not for… _those _sort of emotions!"

"What can I say? A ninja must be prepared for absolutely everything. And now, I believe," Shikamaru held out his hand palm up, "You owe me one hundred ryou."

Temari grinned. "That's where you're wrong. Our bet was that my team wouldn't be eliminated in the first round by a Konoha genin. One of them was defeated by a rain shinobi." She held out her palm. "One hundred ryou, please."

Eyes wide, Shikamaru reached for his wallet, grumpily saying, "You are the most troublesome woman I've ever known, even more than my own mother, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," she answered teasingly, wearing a cheeky smile.

"You're right," said Shikamaru in completely serious tone. "I do."

Her expression faded, replaced by a blush. "Wh-what was that? D-don't say things like that unless you mean them!"

"I do mean it," he replied, "You're the most troublesome woman I've ever met, but I still love everything about you… you're beautiful, and smarter than almost everyone I know. You're practically as good a strategist as I am… Hell, you're probably the only thing in this world that gives me motivation besides Shogi." He smiled a true, genuine smile, not one of his clever grins. "When we first met, you were my enemy, Temari… but now, I wait for those days when you come from sand and meet with me."

"Shikamaru…"

"But… there are probably many great-looking, not-lazy guys in Suna. And though I don't mind the walk, you probably don't really like going from there to here, and, huh-?"

"Shut up," she commanded, having cupped his face in her hands, "And just kiss me, alright?" With a satisfied grin, he did as he was told.

Hinata and Sakura watched this scene, smiles on their faces, hoping that their futures would also be as fortunate.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So, how do we want to do this?" asked Naruto.

"We should probably put on a show for these people," said Sasuke.

"Good idea." Sasuke had easily defeated his opponent, not needing to use Chidori, but using his Sharingan to its fullest without activating the kaleidoscope. Naruto had completely destroyed the rain ninja, having used his "_Naruto Nisen Rendan (Naruto Two Thousand Barrage)."_ Konohamaru decided, after remembering how Sasuke had fought in the forest, that he really didn't stand a chance against him and would prefer going through the chuunin exam with Moegi and Udon after all. Now, it was down to the final.

"You guys ready to start?" asked Genma. "Right then," he decided after seeing their nods, "Go for it."

"Just like practice, eh?" said Naruto.

"Yeah."

"I have a feeling this will be great!" Sakura was on the edge of her seat for this match. Hinata agreed. "What do you think, Shikamaru? Temari? …Guys?" She looked over to where her friends were seated, but they were just holding each other's hands and looking into each other's eyes. "_Oh well," _she thought, sighing, "_I guess I should just leave them be for now."_

The crowd was in awe at Naruto and Sasuke's moves. No one could believe that two genin, even an Uchiha and the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki could perform like this. After they were certain that everyone was thoroughly amazed, Naruto and Sasuke met in the middle in a pseudo-clash. Naruto asked, "Want to end this?"

Sasuke nodded. "Let's finish this with a show. One last Chidori against Rasengan?"

"Sounds good."

Following their plan, the two leapt backwards, each using chakra to stick to one of the arena's walls. "_Chidori!" _cried Sasuke, powering his hand with electricity.

As Naruto filled his hand with swirling chakra, he yelled, "_Rasengan!"_

The clash was incredible. The two of them went flying away in an explosion of light and sound. After everything had subsided, they met in the center again, each with a hand in the air. Simultaneously, they said, "We give up."

Genma's eyebrow rose. "… what?"

"Yep. We decided it's too difficult to have just one winner," explained Naruto.

"So we both decided to lose," finished Sasuke.

Smiling, Genma made the announcement. "Both applicants have surrendered… therefore, the final battle of this chuunin exam… is a tie!"

Silence filled the stadium once more. Slowly, a low clap began, which escalated, rising into full applause and cheers. Naruto and Sasuke took a bow and headed away from the arena.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"We'll meet you at the restaurant for the celebration. Chouji, Ino, and Sai are already there," said Shikamaru outside the stadium.

"Alright," said Sakura. "See you in a bit!" With a wave, Shikamaru and Temari took off, leaving Sakura and Hinata alone. "Where could they be?" she asked impatiently. "It didn't take this long for me to get my flak jacket, that I know."

"Here they come now, look!" Hinata pointed towards the exit of the large building.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto walked outside, all three of them clad in flak jackets. "Haha, we did it!" cried Naruto, "Finally!"

"Calm down, fool," said Sasuke, "We're just chuunin."

"Aw, don't spoil my fun! You even got a new forehead protector!"

"Well, the Fifth thought my old scratched one didn't really suit me anymore…"

"The point is," said Kakashi, "You've both come a long way since three years ago."

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, "Y-y-your… answer… you said you'd have it now…" she trailed off, pushing her fingers together nervously.

Naruto's smile became less wide. "… Yeah." He turned towards the others. "Guys, Hinata-chan and I will be right back in a moment." He took her hand and led her a few feet away.

"Well," said Kakashi after a moment. He gestured towards somewhere in the distance. "I'll be over there if you need me." Quickly, he bounded off.

Now Sakura and Sasuke felt the pain of an extremely loud silence. Gathering up his courage, Sasuke said, "Sakura… I'm sorry."

"Sasuke-kun?"

"I… I never meant to hurt you, to make you cry, none of it… I even regret when I left three years ago… I wish I could just erase it all. But since I can't, I can only apologize. Up until recently, I've been blinded by my revenge, and I haven't been able to see the most important thing in my life: You, Sakura." Sakura gasped, her eyes widening. "I've realized that throughout everything I've done, you've been there for me, understanding and helpful. I never knew it, but I wanted to do the same for you… because…" he looked into her eyes. "I love you, Sakura. I hope some day that you can forgive me for what I've done."

And there, without saying a word, Sakura kissed him. How long it lasted, neither of them knew. It felt like a blissful eternity had passed. As they parted, they held each other close, and she whispered in his ear, "You're already forgiven, Sasuke-kun. And you always will be."

"Sakura… Thank you," he said. But unlike when he said it three years ago, he did not knock her out and leave her crying. Instead, he held her, feeling the wonderful warmth she gave off.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hinata," Naruto began after they'd stopped walking. "Before I give you my… answer… I need tell you something else."

"What is it?"

He breathed deeply. "Do you know the story of the Fourth Hokage and the Kyuubi?"

She nodded. "Everyone does… the great Fourth Hokage killed the Kyuubi by sacrificing his own life sixteen years ago… why?"

"Well, that's just the thing," answered Naruto. "He… didn't kill it… instead, he sealed it…"

"What do you mean, 'sealed'?"

"Maybe… it's better if I show you." He lifted his shirt and jacket to reveal his abdomen, eliciting a small gasp and blush from Hinata. As he molded chakra, there it appeared: The double tetragram seal used to hold back the demonic fox.

"N-Naruto-kun… what is that mark?"

"This," he said, lowering his shirt, "is what the Fourth used to seal the Kyuubi. It's a special seal that requires the sacrifice of one's life. Sixteen years ago, the Fourth performed this _fuin jutsu _(_sealing technique)_ to trap the fox within… me." He clenched his fist as he said this, the memories of his past bubbling up.

"It's the reason that I was hated so much as a child… everyone's parents only knew me as 'that Kyuubi brat' and thought of me better off dead. They hated me for killing their hero, the most powerful shinobi ever to exist. So, now you know too, Hinata… do you hate me for it?"

Looking into her eyes, he saw not the frightened expression he expected, but a warm, loving smile instead. "Naruto-kun, I could never, ever hate you in one million years. I don't know any foxes. I only know the most incredible person in the world, the one person who taught me how to be happy when I was miserable, the one person who saved me from a life of pain… Naruto-kun, I wouldn't care if you looked had ears, fur, and fangs like a fox… you'd still be Naruto-kun, the man I fell in love with. Now please," she said, peering into his azure orbs, "Tell me your answer, so that I can stop wondering."

But he didn't tell her. He already knew his answer, and knew, after matching his sapphires to her pearls that she knew too. No more words needed to be said. Instead, he merely took her cheeks gently in his hands, leaned down, and crushed his lips against hers, eyelids closed. She closed her own eyes, overcome by the feeling of lightning shooting through her from her head down to her toes and back again. Everything she'd ever dreamed of was finally happening.

"Come on," he said after they parted, "Let's go celebrate." Once more he took her hand and returned to where their friends were waiting for them.

She knew at that moment, and knew that he knew too, that they would heal each other. They would finally mend the scars of the past, relinquishing it and looking only toward the future, where happiness and peace lie, waiting for them.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Whoo! Long-ass chapter, finally done! I wanted to get the rest of the exam done in one fell swoop… but man, three couples brought together in one chapter? It's difficult writing three "get together" scenes in one sitting (though I did have their basic outlines summed up in my head already). Oh well. You know the drill, guys. Review, review, and review some more, my wonderful readers!


	10. The Long Hidden Truth

Author's note: Well, there's a reason that this chapter has taken longer than the others. I finished up the first arc of the fic, so it's taking some time for me to get some new stuff. Don't worry, though. I've got a reservoir of ideas in store.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter 10: The Long-Hidden Truth

The party was wonderful. Teams Guy, Kurenai, and Asuma had all shown up to celebrate the graduation of the last two original rookies to chuunin. Naruto and Sasuke undoubtedly had the most fun, though Hinata and Sakura were very close. The two men spent the entire night laughing, smiling, and having fun with everyone.

Sakura had sighed happily as the two enjoyed themselves. "Good friends having a good time. This is how it should've been three years ago," she'd said to Kakashi, who'd been sitting next to her, book in hand.

"No," Kakashi had replied to the pink-haired girl, watching the two as well. "This is how it should have been the whole time."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

One year later, team Kakashi was comprised entirely of jounin. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had each aced their exams on the first try eight months earlier.

"I think that mission was too easy," said Naruto as the team arrived home one evening. "Granny Tsunade's underestimating us."

"She probably just wants to give the other teams a shot at the tough missions," replied Sasuke, holding hands with Sakura. "I mean, we can't always do the crucial, high-danger missions."

"Oh, but those are the most fun!" complained Naruto.

"Sasuke's right, Naruto," inserted Kakashi, not looking up from his book. "If we do all the 'fun' missions, how will the other teams keep sharp? Training's never like the real thing, you know this."

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto still felt disappointed at his lack of interesting missions. Suddenly, his stomach began growling. "Hey, you guys want to get anything to eat?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you going to go to dinner with Hinata tonight? You couldn't stop talking about it during the mission."

"Oh!" Naruto's eyes widened in remembrance. "You're right! I completely forgot! What time is it?"

"Around seven thirty."

"Ahh! I promised to meet her at seven forty-five!"

"You idiot!" Sakura yelled at her teammate, "Get going or you'll be late!"

"Right! Thanks for reminding me, bye!" Naruto called, hopping away frantically.

"The more things change," said Sasuke.

"The more they really just stay the same," finished Kakashi.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"_I hope I'm not too early," _thought Hinata at seven forty. She was waiting for her blonde boyfriend at the restaurant they'd agreed upon. "_Maybe Tenten-chan was right… I should have been fashionably late. But I didn't want to keep Naruto-kun waiting…"_

"Hinata-chan!" called Naruto, landing next to her, panting heavily. "Wh-what… time is it?" he asked, catching his breath.

"Seven forty-one, Naruto-kun… why?"

"Alright!" he cheered, throwing a fist in the air. "Right on time!"

Hinata was confused, but smiled anyway. "Shall we get going, Naruto-kun?" He nodded and they headed into the building.

"Naruto-kun… do you know what day it is?" asked Hinata after they'd sat down at a table.

Naruto scratched his chin in wonder. "Uh… it's… Tuesday, right?"

"Yes, it is, but," Hinata tried to voice her thoughts, "Don't you remember… what happened, today?"

"Ah!" Naruto cried out in realization. "I became a chuunin last year!"

Hinata was becoming disappointed. "You mean… you don't remember what else happened that day?"

"Eh? Did something else happen?"

"Oh… no, never mind," Hinata said, a frown on her lips. Turning her head away, she said, "It's just something- mpht!"

What had interrupted Hinata was the sudden motion of Naruto's hands cupping her cheeks and a subsequent kiss. "Just kidding, Hinata-chan," said Naruto, smiling lovingly. "I know what day it is. On this day last year, I told you that I loved you and we had our first kiss."

"Oh, Naruto-kun," she sighed, gazing dreamily at her love. Her heart swelled with the knowledge that he'd remembered.

"And for our anniversary, I got you," he reached into his coat pocket, "This," he finished, pulling out what appeared to be a locket of a golden fox holding a leaf.

Hinata gasped, reaching slowly to take the jewelry, her hands shivering. "N-Naruto-kun," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "It's… beautiful!"

"Go on, open the leaf," he said, pointing to the little latch on the side of the locket.

Doing as he instructed, she flipped open the small piece of metal to reveal a photograph inside. "Naruto-kun…" she murmured, a joyful blush on her face. The picture within the locket was of the two of them exactly one year ago. Tenten had taken it at the celebration they'd had that evening. They were holding each other, arm in arm, beaming at the camera. The photo was taken mere seconds before they'd embraced in another kiss. It was also the last time Hinata had consistently worn her jacket. Below the photo was engraved the word "Love".

"Do you like it?"

"Naruto-kun," she said again, "I couldn't have asked for anything more! But," she paused, feeling suddenly guilty. "I didn't get you anything… I'm sorry…"

Naruto remained grinning. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan. I've already got the only thing I could ever have wanted."

Hinata was confused. "What's that?"

Looking deep into her eyes, white and round like the full moon, he whispered, "You."

The red in her cheeks deepened, her heart nearly bursting in happiness. Yet again, they shared a kiss, though this time it was Hinata that initiated it.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

A week later, Naruto woke up in a dream-like state. "_Ahh," _he thought, breathing in the morning air. "_Surely life can't get better than this."_ The week had been slow, mission-wise, so Naruto had been able to spend a lot of time with Hinata and the rest of his friends.

"Have a good rest?" said a voice at the window.

"Gah!" Naruto yelled, falling out bed. As he got up, he saw that it was Kakashi who had surprised him, a smug grin on his face. "Sensei! Don't do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Right, right, sorry," said Kakashi, though clearly not at all sorry. "Anyway, I was hanging around the Hokage building and Tsunade-sama had me go fetch you. There's something important you need to be told and I have to be there too."

"Eh?" asked Naruto, calming down in an instant. "What does she need to say?"

"Well, you'll find out when we get there, won't you?" said Kakashi slyly. "Now get dressed and let's go."

…………….

As student and teacher arrived in Tsunade's office, the former saw that his other teammates were there too. "Eh? Sakura-chan? Sasuke? What're you guys doing here?"

"I don't know," said Sakura, "Tsunade-sama only said that she had to say something to you and that the two of us should be here with you."

"Maybe it's something concerning Akatsuki," said Sasuke, "We haven't had an attack in a while."

"Hmm," said Naruto, "That could be it. I wonder which pair they're sending after us now?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but that's not it, Naruto," said Tsunade, entering her office. "Good morning, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi." The three answered with a bow. "It's nothing so dangerous or life-threatening, though I know you'd like that. It's just that today is a pretty important day in your life specifically, Naruto. You probably already know this, though."

"Huh?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I don't know why this day's important."

Tsunade's mouth opened in disbelief. "Don't tell me you don't remember! It's October tenth, you idiot! Your _birthday_!"

Eyes wide, Naruto exclaimed "Oh! Right! I completely forgot!"

"Please tell us you're kidding," said Sasuke, his hand on his forehead.

"Shut up!" Naruto cried indignantly, "It's just that October tenth is the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, so everyone's usually sad about it! It's never really been a happy day for me, so I don't take time to remember it!"

Tsunade frowned sympathetically and sighed. "Well, either way, I'm sure you don't think I dragged you here for a birthday party. The truth is that I've got a very special letter to give to you," she said, holding out said letter to Naruto.

"Who's it from?" asked the blonde, taking the letter and opening it.

"It's not 'who' that you should be asking," replied Tsunade, "But 'when'. This letter was written to you seventeen years ago."

"Whaaat?" yelled Naruto. "seventeen _years _ago? Why did it take so long for me to get?"

"Just read it and find out," commanded Tsunade.

Sakura and Sasuke gathered around Naruto to read the letter with him. With haste, the excited teen quickly began reading the letter:

"My dear, wonderful Naruto,

If you are reading this, that means two things: One, you are now seventeen years old and the current Hokage has given this to you, and two, I am already long dead.

I have had this letter held, waiting for you for such a long time because I feel now you will finally be ready to accept it as a man.

I'm sure you've spent countless nights wondering why you exist in this world. You've been forced to live without the love of any parents, and most probably the hatred of everyone. Though I've asked the people of the village to consider you as their hero and savior, I severely doubt they will be able to see past the secret that they all must hold. But by now, one of them must have slipped up and told you the truth: You are the container for the nine-tailed demon fox.

There are many reasons I did this. First of all, I needed to do my duty and save the village. If I had not, surely this town would be lying in the wake of the fox's destruction. Secondly, I could not ask any of the villagers to give up their own child. So I needed to use my own: a beautiful, happy boy of only a day in age. Because of the complexity and severity of the skill I needed to perform, I had to sacrifice not only my life, but also the life of my loving wife… your mother.

Your mother was the most fantastic person I've ever known. She would laugh and smile and make people's lives better. After you were born, she nurtured you, giving you all the love she could muster. When she found out what I had to do, she agreed to be the second life necessary. Because she was the second life, she died a few days after I had. I wish I only had to have used my own, but the chakra and life force of the Kyuubi was so immense, the death god would not be satisfied with just one life. She cried for hours when she knew she would have to leave you.

Having made a contract with the death god, I feel as though I can see into the future, Naruto… your life will be painful for a long, long time, something I wish I could prevent. But afterwards, you shall lead a glorious life, gaining masses of friends, many of them who will have been your enemy beforehand. You have inherited your mother's ability, it would seem, to make the lives of the people around you better. My greatest student and my own master will teach you, allowing you to grow very strong. I hope stronger than I, though I cannot say, for my vision into the future is limited.

I leave to you everything that was in my possession, including the mansion where I lived. I also leave to you my ultimate technique. Though it is incomplete, I am sure you will finish it and create an unstoppable move. One more thing I give you is this bit of information: You have an incredible _kekkei genkai (bloodline limit)_, one that I tried very hard to unlock. Unfortunately, it was among the many things I did not have time on earth to complete, one of which was raising you.

Finally, I leave you with one last gift, something that I can be proud to say you received directly from me: Courage. Your spirit is indomitable, and your bravery and willingness to protect those you care about will boost you forward, letting you reach the heights you've surely dreamed of. And now, I say the one thing I never had the chance to say to you in my life.

I love you, Naruto. Goodbye, my son.

-_Uzumaki Arashi, the Fourth Hokage."_

Naruto finished reading the last line, his hands ghostly white as they clutched the paper. He reread it, again and again, as though if he didn't, it would disappear.

"Oh my God," was all Sakura was able to say.

"Naruto…" said Sasuke. His eyes had widened as he finished the letter.

Kakashi placed a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder. "It's okay," he said. "You don't need to hide it.

Naruto fell to his knees, staring at the ground. "No… I'm… I'm fine… This? This is… this is nothing," he mumbled through a series of stifled sobs. "I… nothing changes… it's just… something."

"Shh," said Tsunade, leaning down and holding Naruto, in a hug, "We all know how strong you are. Crying at a time like this isn't a sign of weakness."

After a moment, Naruto let out a huge sob and hugged the Fifth back, tears streaming down his face. Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi stared down at their teammate, feeling sympathy for him.

"Why…?" asked Naruto after most of his sobs died down, "Why didn't anyone say anything…? Didn't they know? They should have known his last name! They should have known _my_ last name!"

"The legendary Arashi had great potential and the training to go with it," said Jiraiya, stepping in through the window. "While you only had the former. Because you were an orphan, you only had what little training was offered at the academy. People quickly forgot that he was an Uzumaki and just called him 'Arashi _no densetsu (the Legendary Arashi)'_. Something the Fourth forgot to mention was that when the Kyuubi attacked, the entire Uzumaki clan was wiped out, save you.

"B-but, I don't unders-stand," said Naruto, sniffling a bit, "Why did I have to live in that terrible, tiny, rundown apartment all this time? Why couldn't I have lived in his mansion, eh? Why did I have to go through this whole ordeal my entire life, eh? Tell me!" he cried, lifting himself off of the floor. "Why did I have to suffer?"

Jiraiya frowned in guilt. "… The truth is that you were made to suffer for your strength. Akatsuki was already in the process of forming, and Arashi knew that the only way you would be able to become strong without training is that you'd need to suffer."

"Wh-what?" asked Naruto, a new wave of tears beginning to flow. "My own father did this to me? His own son? And I thought he l-l," he strained to get that word out, "Loved me!"

"Don't think that he didn't love you," said Jiraiya, "He loved you more than he loved his own life, which is exactly why he sacrificed himself. When the plan was created, he and your mother cried until they couldn't anymore. That was the only time I'd ever seen him shed tears."

"What do you mean, 'created'? Who formed that p-plan?" Naruto demanded, his tone becoming harsh.

Jiraiya's grimace became darker. "I have carried this guilt for seventeen years. I left Konoha to try and forget about it, but all of the beautiful women and delicious sake in the world couldn't make me forget. It was I, Naruto, who made that terrible plan."

Suddenly, a crack was heard, much like the sound of lightning. Before anyone could catch it, Naruto was in front of Jiraiya, his fist inches away from the _Sannin's_ face. Jiraiya had not flinched, but instead was ready to take any punishment Naruto would give him. The boy's whisker marks were thick, his nails sharpened to claws, his fangs enlarged and his eyes blood red. However, from those fox-like eyes, tears continued to spring forth. Then, Naruto uttered very softly the only thing he could. "…why?"

"For the same reason that your Father made your seal special, so that the Fox's chakra could blend with your own. I did it for your protection."

"My… protection?" Naruto's voice became shaky. "How in hell did you think that I was being _protected? _Every time the villagers burst down my door and ruined my home, every time I was beaten for no reason at the academy, every time I went hungry for days on end, I suppose that was for my _protection!"_

"It's true that you suffered needlessly, more than even the plan entailed," said Jiraiya. "But it is said that when a broken bone heals, it becomes much stronger than before. Look at how strong you've become, Naruto! You've defeated countless foes, against all odds, including one of the _Sannin_! Had you not suffered like this, you would just have been a regular Konoha ninja and Akatsuki would have taken you in an instant!"

Naruto lowered his fist slowly away from Jiraiya. His whisker marks thinned, his claws shortened, his fangs receded, and his eyes reverted to their azure state. Naruto realized that he was right. He was strong, not just because of his own talents, but because of the suffering he'd been through and how hard he'd fought to survive and subsist in his environment, "I see," he said, turning away from his former teacher. "I'm sorry I burst out at you like that, Ero-sennin." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they saw that Naruto was back to normal.

Jiraiya smiled. "Don't worry about it. Now come on, don't you want to show your friends your new home?"

"Oh!" Naruto's head immediately perked up, the smile having returned to his face. "Come on, guys, let's go check it out!" With that, he ran out the door.

"He's going to have quite the surprise when he realizes that he doesn't know where it is," said Tsunade, eliciting a chuckle from all.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Woah…" said Naruto, eyes wide and staring up at the structure before him. It seemed "mansion" was quite the understatement. This building, if it could still be called that, was absolutely tremendous. It was by far bigger than the Hokage building, and rested just a few yards away from its former owner's likeness on the mountain.

"Well?" asked Sasuke. "Are you going to just stand there gawking or are you going to let us in?"

"Excuse me, Mr. 'I-Have-A-House-That-Puts-Most-Towns-To-Shame,'" replied Naruto. "Some of us aren't used to living in places like this… I can barely believe the Yondaime lived here for his whole life!"

"Actually, he didn't," inserted Jiraiya. "At least, he didn't when I first met him. He wasn't the heir to the Uzumaki clan at the time, so he didn't get any benefits from them. In fact, he lived in an apartment quite like your old one for quite a while until he had earned enough money to have this place built."

"Speaking of my old home, I should probably get my stuff from there."

Tsunade smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm having Izumo and Kotetsu bringing your things here, though it'll hardly be enough to fill this place up. Besides, there's already much nicer furniture in there."

"You guys are filling me with anticipation!" cried Sakura, "I'm tired of standing around! Let's go in!" With that, she marched across the threshold of the mansion. Or at least, she tried to, but she was rather forcefully blown away from the building.

"Sakura!" yelled Sasuke, swiftly catching her. "What happened?"

"I… don't know," Sakura muttered, recovering from the dizziness she was struck with. "I tried to walk in and it… just pushed me back!"

"Just a bit of protection, Sakura," said Kakashi, gesturing towards the tag on the door. "Because Yondaime didn't want any greedy thieves looting his empty house, he had very powerful protection seals placed on the door. Therefore, entrance to the house was restricted until one of the Uzumaki blood stepped in. Seeing as there's only one person in the world like that left…" He looked towards the boy he'd made reference to. "Naruto, would you mind leading the way in?"

Grinning at his father's cleverness, Naruto replied, "Sure thing, sensei! Come on, everyone!" As he walked through the doorway, the seal faded away, and the lights flickered on automatically. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke gasped.

The house looked even more incredible inside. There was a marble staircase in the center of the foyer that lead to what looked like an uncountable number of rooms. A large chandelier hanged above their heads, illuminating everything around them. Several portraits mounted the walls, depicting what Naruto only guessed were the deceased members of his family, as one of the portraits was of his father.

But what caught everyone's eye the most was the large banner hanging from the ceiling which read, "Happy birthday, Naruto. Welcome home."

"Wait," said Sasuke. "Are you honestly telling me that they planned this event seventeen years ago?"

"What can I say?" said Jiraiya, "The Fourth was a good planner, something our friend here inherited only in terms of battle."

Naruto ignored this comment. "How… many bedrooms are there?"

"Fifteen," answered Tsunade, "According to the schematic, there are three dining halls, several bathrooms, and a rather large ballroom."

"Yondaime liked to live extravagantly, didn't he?" said Sakura.

"He earned it," replied Jiraiya, "But the thing about that is that despite achieving the title of Hokage, despite being extremely powerful and successful, he was always the same Arashi that I had trained, the down-to-earth, lovable guy that was friends with everyone in the village." _"Something that you will surely share, Naruto."_

Just then, Naruto came out of his reverie of amazement. "This place… is incredible!"

A grin came across Tsunade's face. "And it's all yours, Naruto. Have fun."

"You bet!" he yelled, racing up the stairs. "Let's check this place out!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

After a thorough inspection of the mansion, everyone had left except Naruto. The young shinobi remained lying on his new bed in the master bedroom. "_This is so nice,"_ he thought, feeling the softness of the mattress. "_When Izumo and Kotetsu come with my things, I'm going to have them burn my old bed."_ He smiled at how that sounded. "_My old bed. Amazing. I'm never going to have to spend another night in that apartment ever again. And it's all thanks to the Fourth Hokage… No. It's all thanks to my father, the greatest shinobi and human being to ever have existed."_

The next day, Naruto met up with Hinata; nearly bursting with the anticipation he was feeling from wanting to show her his new home. He wanted to surprise her, so he took her out on a long, eventful date first: Dinner, a movie, and a nice long walk together.

At the end of it, the two kissed, and as they parted, Hinata asked, "Whose place do you want to go to this time?" They had each been at the other's house many times, and even spent the night a few times, though they'd never gone farther than just kissing. Naruto had preferred the Hyuuga mansion because it wasn't as rundown as his apartment. Hinata preferred his apartment because there were no family members watching them there.

Naruto smiled. "Let's go to my place this time, shall we?" Though she was surprised at his unusual suggestion, she nodded. Once again, Naruto bit into his thumb and, after performing the proper seals, planted his right hand into the ground, yelling, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique!)"_ Naruto leapt up onto the frog that appeared in the smoke.

"Good evening, Gama-kun," said Hinata, bowing slightly. The frog croaked and lowered its head in return as she climbed aboard his back. No longer frightened of the immense heights the amphibian could leap to, she spent the ride merely holding on tightly to Naruto, loving how much warmth he gave off. But she noticed something was different. The ride was longer than usual, and they seemed to be heading toward the Hokage faces. "Naruto-kun!" she called over the extremely loud winds. "This isn't the way to your apartment! Where are we going?"

"You're right, it isn't!" he called back. "Don't worry though, we'll get to my place soon!" The frog landed once more with a resounding thump, leaving a small indent in the ground. Naruto helped Hinata off of the frog as it disappeared and said, gesturing toward his mansion, "We're home."

Hinata looked in the direction where he was pointing. "Wh-what?" she said, eyes widening at the enormous structure in front of her. "'Home'? This is… wait, I've seen this before!" A memory from years ago floated to the surface. When she was at the academy, she'd seen this building in a history book. "This is… the Yondaime Hokage's mansion!"

"That's right."

"But, I… don't get it. You said, 'We're home'… why did you say that?"

Naruto was enjoying every second of this. "I mean just that. This is my home now, Hinata-chan. I inherited it from Yondaime."

"How?"

He smiled. "Simple. I'm his son."

She remained silent for a moment. "His… son? Really?" She knew he wasn't lying, but needed to make sure she'd heard correctly. "N-Naruto-kun… that's amazing! Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I just found out yesterday," he began, and told her everything he'd found out the previous day.

"Oh, Naruto-kun… I'm so happy for you!" She reached up and planted a quick kiss.

"I'm happy too, Hinata-chan, because I'm finally somebody," he said softly.

Hinata's smile was replaced by a confused expression. "What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

"I mean, I'm finally someone worthy to be with you, Hinata-chan… I know that your father doesn't approve of our relationship. He thinks I'm just that worthless nine-tailed brat who doesn't have a dime to his name." He grasped Hinata by the shoulders. "But don't you see? If he finds out that I'm the son of the Yondaime, he'll have to allow it! He'll-"

In a reversal of roles from the week before, Naruto was cut off by Hinata's lips making contact with his own. Overcoming the initial, shock, he kissed her back and parted their lips, allowing their tongues to dance with each other. After this fiery embrace, Hinata looked deep into his azure orbs. "Naruto-kun, I wouldn't care if father sent both branches of the family to keep me from you. I'd fight all of them off until I died, just so that we could be together. It doesn't matter to me where you came from or who your father is, or even what my father thinks of you… I love Naruto-kun for Naruto-kun."

They held each other for a while until Naruto whispered, "I'm such a fool."

"Hm?"

"I should've realized that you wouldn't care about what your father says… that's why I fell in love with you, Hinata-chan. You never judge anyone prematurely… and you won't let anyone else cloud your judgment."

"Naruto-kun, you're the same," she said. "But still, Yondaime being your father isn't a bad thing, is it?"

He smiled. "No, not at all," he said, grasping her hand. "Now come on. You've _got _to see this chandelier. It's huge!" As she giggled at his silliness, he led her inside.

/\/\/\/\/\

Hmm. Pretty uneventful chapter, but I liked it. Oh well, please keep reviewing! I'll try to have the next one out soon!

EDIT: Thanks to Dragon Man 180 for the correction. The truth is I'd lost my copy of Naruto volume 1 and was too busy to check on my own, so I forgot which one it was.


	11. Snake in the grass

Author's note: It's been a while, but I'm back. I'm going through these old fics so that I can stall for my Bleach story and wait for inspiration. By the way, the reason Sasuke seems OOC in this story is because, well, we don't ever get to see Sasuke truly happy or… non-emo, except for one filler episode in the anime. So basically, I'm guessing how he is when he's happy.

Disclaimer: Do not want, er… own!

Chapter eleven: Snake in the grass

It was a quiet day in Konoha. The village had been rebuilt since the Sound and Sand's attack four years ago, and Akatsuki hadn't planned anything in a while. Truly, peace was here at last.

"_Ahhh,"_ thought Naruto, cradling Hinata lovingly, "_Truly, this is what people call 'the life'._

"Naruto-kun?" piped up Hinata.

"Yeah?"

"I'm taking the Jounin exam next week… do you think I can pass it?" she asked meekly, peering into her love's sapphires.

"Are you kidding?" he said, stroking her long, raven tresses. "You'll be fine, you'll pass with ease!"

She smiled. "You think so?"

God, he loved that smile. "Yeah. I know it."

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura were having a good time as well. "You… want me to move in with you, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah," he replied, "It's really… lonely in my house, what with, you know, no one besides me being there. I'd love it if you were there with me, Sakura."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, of course I'll do it! Just give me a few days to move my stuff, okay?"

Sasuke smiled. "That's great. Now, you'll have to excuse me, I've got to go to my daily sparring practice with Naruto. I love you," he said, kissing her lightly.

"I love you too," she said, then added, "Have fun!" and ran happily to prepare her things.

-------------

"Ready?"

"Always," said Naruto, usual cocky grin on his face, "I've got a killer new technique I'm working on, just gotta fine-tune it before it works."

"Whatever. You want to do a summoning battle?"

"Sure, but we'd better get to the forest so that we don't, you know, kill anyone."

"Right."

After relocating, the two shinobi performed identical seals, planted their right hands on the ground and cried, "_Kuchiyose no jutsu (summoning technique)!"_ With a puff of smoke, the two giant beings emerged: Gamabunta the frog boss and Manda, the terrible snake.

"Who the hell sum- oh, it's you, Sasuke-sama," said Manda, calming down from his rage, "I am at your command."

"_Sasuke was able to get that beast under his control… that's something even Orochimaru couldn't do," _thought Naruto. "Alright, Gamabunta, you ready to do this?"

"Always, kid. Always."

The battle raged for a short time, each ninja controlling their summon expertly. They smashed and slashed and tore at each other until each tremendous beast was drained of power, and then dismissed them. When the dust settled, Sasuke stepped through and said, "Well, that was good."

"You know it! Now let's get some ramen!"

"Yeah… you go on ahead, I'm going to go find Sakura."

-------------------

"State your name and team, please," said the proctor for the Jounin exams, a few hours later.

"I am Hyuuga Hinata and my team is the Kurenai cell, composed of Yuuhi Kurenai, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and myself."

"Thank you. Please proceed to the testing area. You will be graded by several ANBU members and observed by two other Jounin."

She did as she was told, and though she'd been heartened by Naruto's kind, supportive words, she was so nervous her knees were rattling. After a few therapeutic breaths, she calmed down, somewhat ready to take the test.

"Alright. Allow me to introduce the ANBU and Jounin that will be observing you."

The door opened to reveal several black ops agents masked, and…

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" exclaimed Naruto, waving excitedly.

"Good day, Hinata-sama," greeted Neji, bowing respectfully.

Both were smiling and, encouraged by those smiles, Hinata's fears were dispelled. "Are you ready, Hinata-san?"

She grinned. "Absolutely."

The tests might've been difficult for a regular Chuunin, what with the intense physical combat, the requirement of the dual-wielding elements, and the need for an illusion so real it hurt, but for Hinata, who'd recently completely mastered the Hyuuga style (and quite a bit of medical ninjutsu), it was a breeze. She passed with flying colors.

"See? I _told_ you it'd be easy," said Naruto as they left the testing grounds. Neji had decided to give them some alone time.

"Well… I saw you smile for me, and that gave me the strength to do my best," she replied, leaning on him."

"You know I'll always smile for you," he said. "Now, we gotta celebrate this. Let's do anything you want."

Hinata blushed furiously, harder than she had since she and Naruto had become a couple. "Uhm…" she muttered, trying to gather her strength for the incredibly embarrassing thing she was about to do. "I know a good way to celebrate," she said huskily, a deep tone to her voice.

"What is it?" asked Naruto densely, and then felt an incredible burning sensation rising in his face. "Oh…" he said, breathing slowly. "_Okay, just… play it cool," _he thought. "Ithinkthatsoundslikeagreatidea!" he babbled, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "_Dammit! Try again."_ "Hinata-chan… that sounds great" he uttered smoothly. "_Nailed it."_ "Let's go to my place," he said, not noticing the immense sigh of relief that escaped Hinata's lips. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

The man-sized frog appeared before them. "Alright, Gama-kun," said Naruto, leaping on his back, "Let's get us home in a hurry." With that, he, Hinata, and the frog sped off toward the Fourth Hokage's mansion, where the two loves slammed the master bedroom's door, not to open it until much, much later.

----------------

"_Huh…? Where the hell am I?"_ Sasuke pondered this late at night, and then realized he was atop the third Hokage's face. "_And why is my Sharingan active?" _He promptly shut off the eye technique, wondering about his situation.

Seconds earlier, he'd been dreaming about someone's voice, very familiar, that kept saying, "_Soon, soon… I'm getting closer,"_ and now, it seemed that he had sleepwalked over to the top of the third Hokage's face and activated his Sharingan in the process. "_Weird,"_ he thought, and began making his way back to his home.

-------------------

"They're doing well," said Kakashi. "Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke… all of them are progressing tremendously. I think you would've liked them. You would've especially liked Naruto, Obito. He's a goofy guy but courageous when it counts… just like you. Of course, he doesn't come from what was the most powerful and influential house in the village, so there's that. Instead, he's just a regular guy who struggled a lot growing up. But now he's more powerful than I. Makes me proud."

"You still talk to him?" asked a figure behind him.

"Of course. Pretty frequently, actually."

"The last time I talked to him was when Sensei died. I should say hello sometime."

"Why not now?"

"Well, because now, I want to say hello to you, Kakashi. Hello."

"Hello," he said, turning around, "Rin."

She decided to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind for years. "Are you… are you mad at me for leaving?"

"Not really. I know you had your reasons and frankly, with Sensei and Obito gone, I can't really blame you. "

"I just… I couldn't take it anymore. After seeing Sensei give up his soul like that, I couldn't live in Konoha anymore."

Kakashi nodded. "I understand. So why did you return?"

"I heard little Uzumaki Naruto was getting some heat from Akatsuki."

Kakashi chuckled. "He's not so little anymore, Rin. But I do see why you care. You are the one who delivered him at birth."

"I didn't do it alone. You were right there with me, despite not being a medical ninja. I forgot to thank you for that."

"Don't worry about it."

She smiled. "You know, I never got why you wear that mask," she said, hand approaching the article of clothing in question. "You're so handsome, it just doesn't make sense for you to hide that face of yours."

He didn't react as she pulled the piece of cloth off of his face, revealing his handsome features, nor did he react as she pulled up his forehead protector, exposing his Sharingan and showing his entire face for the first time in a while. "Here, I'll show you why," he said, words clear without the mask. The Sharingan spun for a while, then stopped, and Rin was filled with understanding.

"Your father?" she asked, "White Fang wore a mask?"

"Yep," Kakashi said simply, not elaborating as usual. "By the way, since Obito and Sensei died, you're the only person that I allow to see me without my mask."

"I know," she said, leaning in, "And I'm honored."

As she was a hair's width from his lips, Kakashi pulled back, saying, "You might want to stop there."

She too pulled back, a little surprised, and then gained a crestfallen expression. "You're right… I've thought about you every day since I left, but you don't have those feelings for me anymore. I understand." She began to walk away when Kakashi gently grasped her wrist.

"No, I don't think you do," he said, pulling up his mask and down his forehead protector. "The feelings aren't dead, they're just buried. If you stay here, they'll probably resurface," he added with his one-eyed smile.

She too smiled, showing a bit of happiness behind her disappointment. "Okay. I'll stay. It's not like I have anywhere else to go."

"Good," said Kakashi. "Now, I believe you should say hello to Obito."

------------------

"Mmm… wha, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura had been woken up in the middle of the night only to find Sasuke standing over her, Sharingan activated, a grim expression on his face. "Sasuke-kun, what are you doing?" He inched closer to her. "Sasuke-kun, you're acting very strangely…" Closer still, he raised his fist and the familiar crackling of lightning chakra began in his fist. "Please stop, you're scaring me!" she squeaked.

Suddenly, Sasuke snapped out of it. "Wh… what am I doing?" he asked, shaking his head.

Sakura was confused. "You mean… you don't know what just happened?"

"No… Oh God, not again," he said, clutching the sides of his head. "Things like this have been happening over and over recently, Sakura… I'm afraid I'm losing my sanity. Each time before it happens, I hear this weird voice that I think I know from somewhere, telling me, 'Closer and closer… soon, all will be mine.' I can't figure out what it means, unless-" An epiphany struck him. "No… it can't be!" He immediately turned and bolted, telling Sakura, "Don't follow me, whatever you do!"

------------------

"Ahh… what a nice night," Naruto said, walking the streets of Konoha. After his and Hinata's "fun night," Naruto had stayed and cuddled with her, waited 'till she had entered a deep slumber, and then went for a stroll, as he did every so often. Just then, a figure wandered into his view. "Huh? Who's there?" The figure neared, revealing itself to Naruto. "Oh! Sasuke! You'll never guess what happened to me tonight, it was-"

"Sorry," said Sasuke, cutting him off in a twisted tone of voice. "Sasuke-kun isn't home."

"Wh-what?" said Naruto, his voice soft. "That voice… no way!"

"Kukukuku," the person in Sasuke's body laughed, "Have you figured it out, Naruto-kun? This is not Sasuke, but instead the man who will have all before him, Orochimaru!"

"Bullshit!" yelled Naruto, disregarding the fact that it was the dead of night and people were mostly asleep, "Orochimaru is _dead!_ Sasuke killed him!"

"Kukuku…" he laughed again, "Dear Naruto-kun… do you want to know what happened? Let me… _show you!" _The Sharingan spun, and Naruto was filled with understanding.

"So… you were in Sasuke's soul, but… he took over?" Naruto asked. "Then how did you take his body?"

"His hatred for Itachi blocked me from taking over his soul. But now that Itachi's gone, it seems my Sasuke-kun has become happy… that made it easy for me to conquer him, slowly and stealthily. And now, I'm going to kill everyone who stood in my way, starting with you, Naruto-kun!"

"Shut up," Naruto said quietly, facing the floor "Didn't I tell you a year ago…?" He glared at Orochimaru, fangs bared, eyes red and whiskers thickened, then leapt at him, fist raised. "_Never _call him yours_ in front of me!_"

"Haha! Come, Naruto-kun!" he shouted in pure bliss while blocking and countering with a heavy fist to the side, "Let me show you how one who has studied the Sharingan intently can use it perfectly!"

"If you won't leave Sasuke's body," Naruto roared, forming the cross seal, "Then I'll force you out of him!_ Tajuu_ _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Shadow Clone technique)!"_

Thousands of Naruto _bunshin_ poured out of the air, pouncing at Orochimaru ferociously, fighting like an enraged fox. But Orochimaru merely laughed maniacally, dodging and punching away the clones as he screamed, "This is incredible! This is more than I'd ever imagined! Truly, Sasuke-kun's body is amazing, and now it's mine!"

"You bastard… I said not to say that!" Chakra started oozing out of Naruto. _"Damn it,"_ he thought, "_I've gotta keep cool… otherwise the kyuubi could come out too much." _As he thought this, the chakra began to recede, bringing him back to his zero-tailed state.

"Do I upset you, Naruto-kun?" asked Orochimaru. "Would it make you feel better if I _acted_ like Sasuke-kun?" Suddenly, he began forming very familiar seals. "_Katon (fire styl)! Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)!"_

Naruto was so thoroughly enraged that he blew the fireball away with raw energy. "_How the hell am I going to force him out of Sasuke's body? His Chakra is flowing through Sasuke's veins…"_

"You don't like it when I act like your friend, Naruto-kun? Very well. I'll just be myself." As he swiped one hand over his face, his appearance changed from Uchiha Sasuke to Orochimaru's devious grin. "Hmm… let's see. What would be the best way to kill you? Oh, I know!" Performing some seals, he powered lightning through his left hand. "Sasuke-kun cused to prefer the first stage of this technique, the _Chidori (one thousand birds)_, but I'll opt to use the true form." More lightning began flowing through the fist. "Behold! _Raikiri (Lightning Blade)!"_

"Yeah? Well I used to be able to only use the first stage of this technique," Naruto returned, gathering Chakra in his palm. "_Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere)."_ "_Shit,"_ he thought, "_I can't use the _RasenshurikenSpiraling Shuriken)_ on him… It's too dangerous to Sasuke's body. I'll have to settle for the other version."_ As a clone appeared before him, more chakra began swirling. "Here I go!" He rushed at Orochimaru. "_Oodama Rasengan (Great Ball Spiraling Sphere)!"_

The two techniques clashed, creating a massive explosion that flung both of them backwards several yards. A few others had come out because of the commotion, but now nearly everyone in the area had come out to see what was going on. "What's going on? Who's Naruto fighting?" asked Sakura, who'd just stepped onto the scene. "Is it an Akatsuki?"

"No," said Kakashi, Sharingan examining the area. "It's something… far worse."

"What is it?"

"I can't believe it… but Sasuke's body has been taken over by Orochimaru."

A horrified expression came over Sakura's features as she began hyperventilating. "Please… tell me it isn't true…" she fell to her knees, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Please."

"I wish I could tell you that it's just a lie, Sakura. But the man Naruto is fighting is not our Sasuke."

"Then we should help him!" she said, rising to her feet. "We should beat Orochimaru out of Sasuke-kun's body!"

"No."

"Why not?" she shrieked, outraged at this denial.

"Because Naruto is the only one of us who has a chance of getting Sasuke back."

-----------------

"This is so much fun, don't you think, Naruto-kun?" said Orochimaru, dodging what must have been the one thousandth fist thrown at him. "But I think it's time to end this." Forming the appropriate seals, he planted both hands on the ground. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" _Suddenly, multiple snakes appeared, with Orochimaru riding on Manda. "What can you possibly do to fight this onslaught, Naruto-kun? Don't tell me you expect to summon those ridiculous frogs."

"Not exactly," said Naruto, drawing blood and forming the same seals. "_Please," _he thought, "_Oh please, please work. I haven't perfected this yet… but I need it to work right now!" _"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ he cried, planting his left hand on the ground.

Red and blue chakra began to erupt around Naruto. "_Left hand?"_ thought Orochimaru. "_I thought that brat summoned with his right."_

---------------

"So he's trying to use that technique…" said Jiraiya, appearing before Sakura and Kakashi.

"What technique do you mean, Jiraiya?" asked Kakashi, turning to the S_annin._

"Naruto usually summons his toads with the right hand. That's the hand that he used to forge a contract with them via the summoning scroll. But now, he's using his left."

Hinata arrived just as Jiraiya was explaining this. "But… what does that imply, Jiraiya-sama?"

"It means, Hinata, that Naruto's using a different summon," said Kakashi.

"Not just that," continued Jiraiya. "He's using his own created scroll."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wh-what? That's impossible! Only one person every several decades creates one!"

"It wasn't easy. For the longest time, even with his great outpouring of chakra, he couldn't do it. They refused to be summoned because they are a proud species, moreso than the frogs. He had to contact them and offer his contract. Eventually, it worked, but he could only summon small ones. But that kid's a brilliant idiot. I think he can do it."

"Who's 'they,' Jiraiya-sama?" asked Hinata.

"Just watch."

-----------------

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ The first time hadn't activated the summon, so now, with swirling chakra all around him, he repeated it. There was a tremendous explosion, one that shattered several of the windows in the buildings in the surrounding area. "I've never studied them before, so I don't know,"said Naruto, appearing from the smoke, "But I think that foxes eat snakes."

Orochimaru's new Sharingan eyes widened as he observed the creature Naruto was standing on. A tremendous fox had emerged from the summoning with enormous fangs and claws to match. "You… you brat!" Orochimaru exclaimed, an angry look on his face. "There is no fox summoning scroll! You dare try to fool me with such an obvious genjutsu?"

"I know there was no summoning scroll," said Naruto cooly, grinning smugly through his own fangs. "I just invented it."

"Hey, Orochimaru," said Manda, "You're supposed to give me one hundred human souls before you summon me. I'm going to kill you if you don't have them ready."

"Be patient, Manda," said Orochimaru. "The being atop that fox holds the Kyuubi within himself. Don't you think that's a suitable soul?"

"The Kyuubi, eh?" said Manda, intrigued. "That sounds delicious. Let's _feast!"_ With that battle cry, he and the other snakes began slithering at the fox, poisonous fangs bared.

"Okay, Kitsune-chan?"

The fox growled. "Don't call me 'Kitsune-chan like we're so familiar. Just because you hold the spirit of our God within you doesn't mean you can treat us like you want. Let's fight this snake," she said, the last word dripping with acid, "and then we'll see if you can call me 'Kitsune-chan' or not." With those words, she gracefully leapt to fight the wicked snakes.

----------------

The chapter is done! I hope there are a few of you out there who remember this fic. Anyway, if you're a newcomer, welcome, or an old reader, welcome back! Either way, please send me a review, not necessarily for just this chapter, either!

By the way, I thought Kakashi and Rin's reunion would be short, seeing as Kakashi's not the type to get too emotional or to elaborate on things.


	12. A last resort

Author's note: Thanks for the kind words, guys. Glad to see this fic isn't yet dead.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter Twelve: A last resort.

The two giant beasts ran at each other, fangs and claws at the ready. "Everyone, prepare yourselves!" yelled Jiraiya. "Those who can, protect the genin and students!" The various shinobi scrambled to protect their young, most horrified at the sight before them. After all, they were witnessing a giant fox that randomly appeared in the village and the man who single-handedly led an attack that nearly crushed them all on top of a giant snake, surrounded by several other large snakes.

A tremendous shockwave rocked the village, toppling several shinobi who were unlucky enough to be close to the battle. When the chaos quieted down, those who were still conscious were able to see the giant fox with its fangs around the snake and its paws crushing the rest of the snakes. . "Well well," said the fox, "'Kitsune-chan' it is, then. What about your name, boy? I think two partners should know each other's names."

Naruto grinned. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. It's good to finally meet you, Kitsune-chan."

She smiled back. "You as well. As a parting gift, I'll hold down that snake-wielder. And also," she said, letting Naruto off of her back. "Tell our God 'Hello'."

"Orochimaru!" roared the snake in rage, "If you don't die in this battle, don't even _think_ of summoning me or any snake again! I will order all my young to devour you whole!" Manda and the other snakes disappeared with these words, leaving a nervous Orochimaru in the street. Suddenly, two great blasts of chakra exploded from the fox's claws, pinning Orochimaru to the floor.

With their enemy pinned, people started to approach him until Jiraiya leapt forward and said. "Stay back, he's still dangerous! After all, he is one of the _Sannin, _he could make a move at any time." He turned to face the battlefield, his back at the audience. "You'll just have to have faith in Naruto."

A number of murmurings sprang up in the street. Things such as, "Trust the Kyuubi brat? No way!" or "That monster will doom us all!" could be heard.

Just then, a voice rose up through the crowd. "Be quiet," said Hinata, her voice uncharacteristically strong. "If any of you have anything to say against Naruto-kun…" She activated her Juuken. "You will have to take it up with me."

"And me," said Sakura, directing chakra into her fist.

"And me," said Kakashi, hand crackling with lightning.

No more was said against him.

--------------------

"What do we have here?" asked Naruto, approaching the trapped Orochimaru. "Seems we caught a slimy little snake."

"So what?" said Orochimaru, still grinning his devious grin. "Anything you do to me will just hurt Sasuke-kun's body! You can't touch me!" He began to laugh until he witnessed the ball of chakra forming in his opponent's palm. "…What are you doing?"

"The only thing I can," he replied. _"This is it… I hope it works."_

-------------------

"What's he doing?" asked Sakura. "It looks like he's forming-"

"He is," answered Kakashi. "The _Rasenshuriken (Spiraling shuriken)._"

Eyes widened, Sakura protested, "But if he uses that, he'll utterly destroy Sasuke-kun's body!"

"It may be our only hope of getting Sasuke back," said Kakashi. "The _Rasenshuriken_ severs nerve and chakra channels at a cellular level… so if it's currently Orochimaru's chakra and soul that's in there, there's a chance that once his cells are damaged, the flood of chakra that might return from Sasuke's soul will repair those channels and nerve endings. I'm sure Naruto's figured all of this out."

"Like I said," added Jiraiya, "He's a brilliant idiot."

Hinata was still troubled. "If the _Rasenshuriken_ does that much damage… won't Naruto-kun suffer some damage in the arm he uses it with?"

"Oh, no need to worry," replied Kakashi, peering at the ball of chakra swirling in Naruto's hand with his Sharingan. "That's a _bunshin_."

"He fought so hard to get his best friend back," said Jiraiya, "now I'm sure he'd do anything to get him back, even with the smallest chance."

Kakashi nodded. "There's one last part to this plan. Sakura, Hinata, you two are medical kunoichi. Once the _Rasenshuriken_ hits, you will need to begin healing all parts of Sasuke's body before the wounds set in too heavily."

"Of course!"

"Yes…"

--------------------

"Please, please work," he muttered, gathering the chakra in his _bunshin_'s hand. As he stepped away, his clone said, "Here I go. _Rasenshuriken!"_

The effect was instantaneous. An incredible dome of swirling pain surrounded Orochimaru as the microscopic blades tore at Sasuke's body. Naruto felt a clenching in his stomach, sick with worry that the attack wouldn't save his friend, but instead kill him. The worst part was that it would be his fault. Sure, he'd tried to form the chakra just enough so that it wouldn't kill him, but his chakra control had never been the greatest.

The dome, though it seemed to have lasted forever, finally subsided. Instantly, Hinata and Sakura were on Sasuke's body applying healing to every part of his body they could cover. Naruto kneeled down and asked, "Sasuke? Can you hear me?"

After a moment, Sasuke stirred. "Hey... good to see you, Naruto," he said weakly. "Listen to me, Naruto. He's going to try to come back. You need to stop me however you can when that happens."

"Sasuke," said Naruto, choking on the words, "I… I can't kill you."

Sasuke laughed weakly. "What's with that look, stupid..? You do what you need to. Save me from him, Naruto… Those who do not look after their comrades…" he stopped, coughing from his wounds.

"… Are lower than trash," Naruto continued, trying not to sob. "You jerk…"

"Naruto, calm down," said Kakashi, walking towards the two. "Leave this to me." Kneeling down directly in front of Sasuke, he activated the final form of his Sharingan. "_Mangekyou Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Mirror-wheel eye)."_ The two went into a trance as Kakashi worked his _Doujutsu (eye techniques)._

-----------------

"What is this?" asked Orochimaru, outraged, "What is going on here? Why am I not in control of Sasuke-kun?"

"I'll tell you what this is," said Kakashi as he emerged from the shadows. "This is the new generation succeeding the last one. And since you're even older than the last generation…" He lifted his headband to reveal his altered Sharingan. "I think your time is up. _Tsukiyomi (moon reader)."_

Orochimaru collapsed an instant. Kakashi took this opportunity to fire up his _Raikiri (lightning blade)_ and decapitated the _Sannin,_ destroying his soul.

-------------------

"Did it work?" asked Sakura, hunched over her love as he fell unconscious a moment later.

"We can only wait," said Kakashi, panting from the use of his eye's technique.

It was a somber moment as they awaited any sort of reaction from Sasuke. Everyone seemed to have a collective heartbeat, one that thundered in nervous anticipation. Rin had arrived to help heal Sasuke's ravaged body, showing tremendous experience in her field.

"Um…" Sakura began, "Thank you for helping to heal Sasuke-kun, and excuse me if I'm being rude here, but… who are you?"

Kakashi answered for her. "Her name is Rin. A long time ago, she and I were on the same team and the same ANBU squadron."

"Nice to meet you," said Rin.

"_The same team as Kakashi-sensei?"_ thought Naruto, "_Wow. She must be strong."_ He could tell the others were thinking similarly.

Suddenly, Sasuke stirred ever so slightly. All eyes immediately began watching the boy, hearts beating faster and faster. "Hey…" he said finally, opening one eye just enough to see. "What's with the sad faces?"

Sakura burst out crying tears of pure joy. "Sasuke-kun…" she began, bending down to hold him but resisting as such an action would aggravate his wounds. Instead, she settled for a gentle kiss on the lips. "I was so worried!"

"I'm sorry…" he said softly, then turned to Kakashi. "I saw… what happened. What did you do to him?"

"I gave him his worst nightmare," answered Kakashi. "I made him think he was trapped in the Death God's stomach with Sandaime. I made it last an eternity for him and that crushed him."

"Sasuke-kun," urged Sakura, "Can you… can you move?"

Everyone sat with bated breath as slowly but steadily, Sasuke was able to get up. "It'll take a few days," he said, leaning on Sakura, "but I'll be okay."

"Yeah you will!" said Naruto, smiling as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Jiraiya laughed. "One in a million chance and Naruto nailed it! I _knew_ he was good at gambling."

Sasuke smiled. "Naruto… thanks."

Grinning, Naruto replied, "Don't be stupid. I did what I had to, that's what best friends are for, right?"

"Right," said Sasuke, nodding slowly.

"Naruto-kun," said Hinata, "That summoning… that was incredible! How did you do it?"

"It was hard," he said, remembering when he'd first begun training to create a scroll…

"_You want to do _what?" _asked Jiraiya incredulously._

"_You heard me," said Naruto, two years into his training. "I want to make my own summoning scroll."_

"_First of all, it's not that easy. Second, what's wrong with my frogs?"_

"_Nothing," he said, "But they're not suited for all kinds of battle, right? When I fought the Shukaku, I had to use the _Henge no Jutsu (transformation technique) _in order for Gamabunta to latch on. If I'm gonna fight Akatsuki, I'll need more versatility, right?"_

_Impressed, Jiraiya replied, "Well, I can't believe you would say something that smart."_

"_Shut up!"_

"_But if you really want to make a new summoning scroll… it will take a lot of effort. You'll probably need to work on it for years and years."_

"_I've been trying to summon the animal I want, but they don't want to be summoned."_

"_Which animal?"_

"_The fox."_

_Jiraiya grinned. "Sounds good. Here's what you need to do in order to begin the contract. Close your eyes and meditate… focus on the fox and nothing else… Continue this for several days inside a circle of your own blood surrounded by the proper seals, I'll show you those, and if they decide to see you, with a lot of luck, you'll be able to negotiate with them."_

_A few days later, after no nights of sleep and continual meditation Naruto had finally managed to pull this off, and an apparition of a fox appeared before him. "What do you want, boy? How dare you, a lowly human, disturb us?"_

"_I…" he started, a bit unnerved by the fox's teeth and claws, then regained his usual confidence. "I want to forge a blood contract with your kind."_

_It was a very odd thing for Naruto to hear a fox laugh, but after that had subsided, it said, "A rat like you? Forge a contract with us? Don't be absurd. We foxes have more pride than to let a mere human such as yourself summon us whenever he pleases."_

_Naruto was getting fed up with this fox. He purposefully enlarged his fangs, thickened his whiskers, and turned his eyes crimson. "What if... I weren't just a human?"_

_The fox was astounded at the tremendous amount of chakra emanating from the boy, especially because it was so very familiar. "You… you have the chakra of our lord, the Kyuubi-sama… how is it possible?"_

"_The Kyuubi is sealed inside of me. I control its power."_

_Grinning with intrigue, the fox said, "Very well. We'll give you a chance… but to fully awaken our power, I can guarantee it will take many, many years of training. Take your scroll."_

"_Really? Thank you!" he exclaimed, picking up the scroll and writing his name in blood inside it._

"_Don't thank us yet," said the fox, fading away. "Farewell."_

"You finished the training within a year and a half?" asked Sakura, "How can that be?"

"The same way he completed the Fourth's _Rasengan_ in a few months," said Kakashi. "You used the multiple_ bunshin_ training, right?"

"Yep!" said Naruto, a cheeky smile covering his features. "And now I have my own summon."

"I don't want to break up this party," said Jiraiya, "But Sasuke probably needs to get some rest after being hit with the _Rasenshuriken._"

"Oh!" said Sakura in realization, carefully picking up the wounded shinobi. "Come on, Sasuke-kun, we'll get you to a hospital." With that, she was off, bounding over rooftops to reach her destination.

"By the way, Naruto, I forgot to commend you on your impressive combat skills," Jiraiya said. "Well done."

"Thanks, Ero-sennin! But it's nothing for the man who'll be Hokage some day!"

Smiling, Jiraiya thought, "_The day you have your mug carved into that rock will be a momentous occasion for us all." "_Now go on, get out of here. I think your lady wants to leave this battlefield." Naruto did as he was told, summoning a frog and riding it away with Hinata. "Tsunade will probably want to discuss what happened here, so I'll be off. See you, Kakashi," he said, before summoning his own frog and leaping away on it.

Kakashi waved for a second, and then turned to Rin. "I see your skills haven't dulled."

"Well, when I left, I roamed around various countries performing medical ninjutsu, so I've had practice." After a moment, she said, "That was Orochimaru inside the body of Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yes."

"So he perfected that forbidden technique?"

"Yes."

"Wow…" She contemplated this for a bit. "What else has happened while I was away?"

"If you'd like to come over for a cup of coffee, I'll fill you in on everything."

"I don't drink coffee."

"Neither do I. Come."

She couldn't help but smile at her old friend. Even if she still loved him, even if that pain was incredible, it was soothed a bit by being back in her own land. "So little Uzumaki Naruto handled that battle expertly," she said as they walked toward Kakashi's place. "You must be a great teacher."

"Thanks, but I can't take all the credit. Jiraiya also trained him for three years."

"Jiraiya-sama? Naruto was trained by one of the _Sannin_? That explains things…"

"Not fully, though. More than any of us, two things have propelled Naruto's growth: His own inborn potential and his tremendous will. Plus, having the Kyuubi inside him doesn't exactly hurt."

Rin nodded. "He's an anomaly of a Jinchuuriki, though… most of them are outcast by society, growing hateful for the people around them and essentially living forever alone. Naruto seems to have done the opposite."

"He got that from his mother," said Kakashi. "She was the same way, remember? But now, most of the Jinchuuriki are dead… which means Akatsuki should be coming to get him any time now."

"Haven't they tried already?"

"They have. But thanks to our efforts, mainly Naruto's, each attacker has been killed, incapacitated permanently, or…" he thought of Hidan for a moment, "…buried for all eternity under tons of rubble and guarded by deer."

"What?"

"Never mind. I'll explain later when we get to the house."

Eventually, the two reached Kakashi's meticulously neat apartment. There, Kakashi explained things to a wide-eyed Rin, who regretted leaving and missing all of these events. After Kakashi got tired of remembering the past few years, they reminisced about times before that, all the time they had enjoyed as Jounin and ANBU after the war and about how much they missed the Fourth and Obito. After that, because Rin had only recently returned to Konoha, Kakashi prepared the couch for her to sleep upon. After she drifted off, Kakashi walked towards his room with one last glance at his former teammate.

Kakashi, however, had become used to getting no sleep, either because of various ANBU missions or because he was fearful of dreams from the past. But seeing Rin triggered some memories for him, such as the one where his master had first crafted his ultimate technique.

"_Hey, Kakashi."_

"_Yes, sir?"_

"_Watch this," the Fourth said, and swirled chakra in his palm into what appeared to be a… sphere of spiraling chakra._

"_The chakra… it spins randomly and chaotically inside that little bubble, increasing in force and becoming self-sustaining, doesn't it?"_

_The Fourth smiled. "Impressive as usual, Kakashi. After one look, you're able to decipher its secret. This is my own original technique."_

"_What's it called?"_

"_Hmm…" the Hokage said, pondering this question. "I haven't given it a name yet. How about_ Rasengan?"

"_Short and to the point. Sounds good to me."_

"_Great! _Rasengan_ it is, then. You know," he said with a cocky little grin, "I bet this thing could beat your _Chidori. _It's an A-rank technique, after all."_

"_I wouldn't want to pit them against each other, but I imagine it could," replied Kakashi. "But against my new version of _Chidori, _the _Raikiri,_ it would have a little bit of difficulty."_

"Raikiri? _That's quite a name. What'd you do, cut lightning with it?"_

_Now it was Kakashi's turn to smile. "Actually… yeah. You can ask that Guy fellow, he was there to see it."_

_The Fourth laughed. "I wouldn't put too much faith into what Guy says. He gets a little overenthusiastic. Say, Kakashi," began Arashi, "Do you want to learn the Rasengan?"_

_Kakashi blinked a few times. "… What?"_

"_You heard me. It's not quite done yet, but you would benefit from learning it. After all… it looks like one of you is going to have to teach it…"_

"_Huh?"_

"_Nothing. Let me show you how to do it. The first step is to swirl around this balloon…"_

Kakashi smiled nostalgically as he looked back on this memory. _"Well, it ended up being Jiraiya who taught it," _he thought. "_At least I was the one who taught him how to complete it." _

"Kakashi?" came a small voice in the doorway.

"Come in, Rin."

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, stepping inside the room. "It's just… it's been a hell of a day, and… I really, really miss them, Kakashi." Tears began to spill from her eyes. "I know it's been years and years, but I've ignored that pain until now… seeing you and little Naruto again… it's just been very painful. I know this is a lot to ask from you, especially after all these years, but… will you stay with me?" she asked, a pleading look in those enormous brown eyes.

In one swift step, Kakashi was in front of her, a hand under her chin to raise her gaze and a smile on his face. "Of course," he said and began laying out a futon with pillows and a blanket.

Rin chuckled. Kakashi turned as he organized her sleeping arrangements and, raising an eyebrow, asked, "What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just thought of something. You were about to wear your mask to sleep, weren't you?"

-----------------

Sasuke's body convulsed for what Sakura counted as the eleventh time within the last hour. This meant that from Sasuke's chakra returning to his body, a few areas of his body were overwhelmed. Rising from her chair, Sakura began administering the proper healing to each designated area. "_I envy Hinata-chan,"_ she thought. "_This would be _so_ much easier with the _Byakugan."

"S-Sakura…" breathed Sasuke, laying his one open eye on his beloved. "You…" he coughed, "You should g-go home… there have to be other medics in this hospital that can heal me."

"Sasuke-kun, don't worry," she said, finishing the last of the healing. "I've already switched shifts so that I can be with you. Besides, Tsunade-sama wanted the best medic in this place to be taking care of you, her most severely injured patient." Sakura smiled, proud of the orders straight from the Hokage herself.

Smiling weakly, Sasuke said, "Sakura… you know I love you, right?"

"I do. I love you too, Sasuke-kun." Before returning to her chair, she planted a very soft kiss on her wounded love's lips. "Sleep well."

-----------------

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hm?"

"You're amazing."

Naruto grinned. "I'm not _that_ great… just a little."

Sitting up from her position in Naruto's lap, Hinata replied, "But you are! You created your own summoning scroll, you completed the _Rasengan,_ something not even the great Yondaime could do, and using that, you successfully countered a forbidden technique and defeated Orochimaru of the _Sannin!_ You're not even eighteen yet! Naruto-kun, I know I praise you a lot, but listen when I say this: If you're not chosen to become the next Hokage, this whole village is doomed."

He could only sit there, mouth slightly agape. That was the most Hinata had said in a long, long while. "Well," he finally said, "I guess that stuff was pretty impressive… but I've got a long way to go before I can become the Rokudaime."

Hinata pseudo-pouted. "I still think you're incredible."

Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he kissed her, leading them to another "fun night."

"Indeed, Naruto-kun, you are quite incredible," said a figure cloaked in black with red clouds, walking away from the Hokage's mansion. "Soon enough, your Kyuubi will be mine. For now, however, I'll let you enjoy this night…"

--------------------

Ooh, spooky ending, right?

Well, I'm not sure that's how you guys wanted me to finish the fight. But I thought it was a good way to do it. Anyway, if you read, ya gotta review, right? … Right? … Hello?


	13. Trials and Tribulations

Author's note: If you could tell by the last chapter, something big's a-comin.

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda don't own it.

Chapter Thirteen: Trials and Tribulations

"Hawkeyes, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Foxboy."

"Excellent. How about you, Pink Slug?"

"I really hate this codename."

"Pink Slug…"

"Fine! Copy that, whatever!"

"Great. Puppy Man?"

"You know, I came out of retirement for you guys. The least you could do is call me by my actual codename."

"Eheheh… sorry about that, K-9."

"Much better. I'm reading you just fine, Foxboy."

It was a year and a half since Orochimaru had overtaken Sasuke's body. Team Kakashi had all achieved the rank of ANBU except for the former member who'd been so proud of his students that he thought he might give it another shot after all. Besides, the reason he'd left initially was not that he disliked the job or wanted a quieter life. Instead, it had been his heartbreak due to the love of his life's sudden disappearance. After that, every mission he went on, every order he received just seemed to remind him of the pain of loss he'd gone through.

But recently, he and Rin had renewed their romantic relationship. The time they spent together replenished the feelings Kakashi had felt were buried for years. With that in his heart, he was able, emotionally, to return to his old post as an ANBU captain. Their current mission was to interrogate a rich member of a nearby village. He had hired Kirigakure black ops members to be his protection.

"Hey, do you hear that?" asked one.

"Yeah… what is it?"

"I dunno. It sounds like a lot of birds chirping… maybe a hundred?"

"Actually," said Kakashi, appearing behind them, "It's more like one thousand." He pierced their bodies, killing them instantly. "K-9 to group, the target's defenses are neutralized. Be careful, this guy has trained to resist torture."

"Understood. Hawkeyes, I'm leaving this to you," said Naruto.

"Copy that." Sasuke slowly entered the room where the rich man sat, alone and shaking. "Kanegawa-san. Nice to meet you." He had suddenly dropped from the ceiling, scaring the man intensely. "I need some information that you have."

"O-Oh sure," said Kanegawa, "Let me just… reach back here and get the documents for you… you punk!" Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a throwing knife and launched it at Sasuke.

Activating his Sharingan, Sasuke caught the blade easily and discarded it. "Alright," he said, his tone growing more serious. "Now we have to do this the hard way." He reached for Kanegawa's shaking hand and grasped it firmly.

"Do what you can, I won't talk! I won't let you ruin me!" he cried, gnashing his teeth at Sasuke.

"I'll ask you again, and for every wrong answer you give me," he held up the man's hand, "I will break one of your fingers. Now, where are the documents?"

"I'll never tell you!" Already scared by Sasuke's pure killing intent, the man shivered even more from the contrast from the serene look on his face. "Wh… what are you doing with your eyes?"

Ignoring the question, Sasuke crunched the man's thumb, snapping it like a twig. Kanegawa shrieked in pain and trembled even more. "Where are the documents?" Sasuke asked, demeanor still calm.

"No… you won't get them!"

Crack, and another anguished cry.

"If you don't tell me this time, I will break your entire hand. Where are the documents?"

"I will never tell scum like you!"

Sasuke did as he promised, utterly shattering the man's hand. He released it as Kanegawa shrieked in pain and then activated his Chidori. "After this… I will cut off an arm."

"Okay, okay!" said Kanegawa. He scrambled to get the documents and handed them over to Sasuke. "Take them, please, just no more!'

Sasuke grinned and disengaged his _Mangekyou Sharingan, _leavingKanegawa heavily confused. There was an extreme pain in his right hand, but… he could move it about easily. "Luckily for you, you won't have to wear a cast," said Sasuke, and left the room. "Hawkeyes to group, mission accomplished."

"Copy that, Hawkeyes," said Naruto. "Let's head home." The team regrouped after that and began bounding toward their village. "That was a pretty quick interrogation, Sasuke. I take it you used Tsukiyomi?"

"Yeah," said Sasuke, "But I figured this guy wasn't strong enough that I'd have to use a lot of force. Woah." He stumbled a little on a branch.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… Mangekyou takes a bit outta me. Anyway, he broke pretty easily after I destroyed his hand."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you got placed into the information-extracting section of ANBU, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura. "As for me, I hope that Tsunade-sama will eventually hand me the Chief of Medicine position at the hospital."

"Oh, come on, Sakura-chan," said Naruto, "You're Tsunade-baachan's star pupil. There's no one else more qualified. But you guys know what I wanna become?"

A unison "Yes!" came from the other three. "Naruto, you've only told us every day for the last five years," said Kakashi. "I don't think there's any doubt in anyone's mind whether you want to become Hokage or not."

"Hmph!" Naruto said indignantly. "I just thought, since we were talking about ambitions and all, you know, you guys might want to hear it again."

"Well clearly, we don't, idiot," said Sasuke. "But in all seriousness, I think I might want to try and take charge of the military police."

Everyone went silent. The police force had largely consisted of the Uchiha clan members until Itachi had murdered them all, so it was understandable to the group that Sasuke wanted to restore some of his clan's legacy.

"Hey, Naruto…" said Sakura, a worried tone in her voice. "Your breathing is kind of irregular and you're sweating… is something wrong?"

Naruto put on his cheeky grin and responded, "Come on, Sakura-chan! Who are you talking to, this is me, remember? I don't get tired or sick or-" He was cut short by suddenly smashing into a tree, causing everyone to halt.

"Naruto," said Kakashi, "It's true that a ninja must look underneath the underneath, but you must also watch out for the really obvious things, like big trees."

"Well done, dumbass," said Sasuke, helping his best friend up.

Sakura was the only one not enjoying the moment. Fortunately for her, as a medic, she had the ability to instantly see signs of any physical ailments. "_I'll have to talk to Tsunade-sama when we get back..."_ "Naruto, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, totally! See? Doesn't even hurt anymore. Let's head home."

They reached the village gate, greeted by Izumo and Kotetsu. "Alright," said Kakashi, stepping ahead of the group. "I'm supposed to meet Rin later, and she hates it when I'm really late…"

"So you're only going to be two hours late?" said Naruto, chuckling at his sensei.

"Hilarious, really," Kakashi responded dryly. "Well, I'd better get going." With that, he was off to see his beloved.

"Hmm…" uttered Naruto, "I'll go see Granny Tsunade and report about the mission. See you guys later." Without even waiting for a farewell, Naruto leapt towards the Hokage building.

"Wait!" said Sakura, despite knowing it was too late.

"Sakura… what's the matter?" asked Sasuke.

"I'm worried about him, Sasuke-kun. Naruto never gets tired or sick or anything because of the Kyuubi… so for him to be feeling like this, something must be up."

----------------------------

"So the mission was an absolute success?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Excellent. You'll receive your payment shortly. You're dismissed."

"Actually, I wanted to request a solo mission."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Another one? Before this mission, you'd done twelve in the past week and nine in the week before, not including team missions."

"I know," he said, panting slightly. "Another one, please. Come on."

"Naruto… look at you. You're a mess. You obviously haven't slept in a long, long time, and you're exhausted."

"So what? I'll be fine. Just gimme another mission."

Tsunade leaned forward, an exasperated look on her face. "Okay, let me rephrase that. _You_ are exhausted. Naruto, the Kyuubi gives you incredible stamina, so much so that you can create a thousand _kagebunshin _without even breaking a sweat. So now look at yourself and tell me honestly there isn't anything wrong with you."

Naruto was silent for a moment. "I'll be fine, eventually," he uttered quietly. "I just need to do more missions."

"Why?" asked Tsunade, "Why are you so bent on doing these missions? I know you like to be active, but this is ridiculous, even for you!"

"Well, I need a lot of money."

"Again, why?"

Naruto paused. "If I tell you… will you promise not to laugh?"

Tsunade smiled. "Of course."

After a deep breath, Naruto muttered softly, "I want to ask Hinata-chan to marry me." There was a painful silence after he said these words as a blush crept across his already flushed face. "_Great… here it comes, the laughing, the telling me I'm immature, the insults…"_ he braced himself for the verbal onslaught.

Instead, however, Tsunade merely asked, "Do you love her, Naruto?"

Puzzled yet relieved, Naruto replied, "More than anything in this world. I'd give my life for her over and over."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely… I've seen her mad, sad, happy… I practically know her better than I know myself."

"And you know she loves you?"

"When she looks at me with those beautiful but pale Hyuuga eyes, I can feel her love like a warm breeze, I can feel a gigantic love that I should have picked up on earlier."

Nodding, Tsunade said, "Well, that was a beautiful way of putting things. Alright, I'll strike you a deal. Since you've been so very helpful in keeping the village safe, I will give you all the missions you want with an increased bonus on three conditions. First, you must take a two full rest days every week."

"Got it. And the other two?"

"Try and get Hiashi's permission, otherwise you'll have both branches after your head. And please, try not to use force, unless… you have to," she said, a sly grin on her face. After Naruto nodded, she continued, "And when you do marry dear Hinata, have a beautiful married life."

Grinning, Naruto answered, "That goes without saying."

"Good," said Tsunade. "Then we have a deal."

A bright smile on his face, Naruto leapt out of the Hokage building, calling, "Thank you so much, Tsunade-baachan! Whoo-hoo!"

Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at his joyful antics. "_Is this how our lives would have been?" _she thought, sighing. "_Is this how we would have been together… Dan?"_ She smiled nostalgically once before returning to the never-ending paperwork.

----------------------

"_What a good day,"_ Naruto thought, walking so happily down the streets of Konoha one could almost see a skip in his step. "_Soon, I'll have enough money to properly ask Hinata to marry me…"_ Sure, he was nervous, as all men are when they propose, but truthfully, he was so overjoyed to be able to express his love to her that he noticed too late that he was about to smack into someone. "Oh, sorry, mister!" he said, carefully lending a hand to the man on the floor. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, don't worry about it," he said, grasping Naruto's hand, "Naruto-kun."

Puzzled, Naruto asked, "Why did… How do you know my name?"

The old man smiled. "Well, Naruto-kun, you're a very famous person. Ever since your defeat of Orochimaru of the _Sannin,_ you've become quite a celebrity."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and asked, "Eheheh, really? Well… thanks for acknowledging me, mister. It was nice meeting you."

"You too," said the man, and walked in the opposite direction of Naruto.

"_Oh, shoot, I forgot to ask his name,"_ Naruto thought, and turned back to face the man. "Hey, mister, what's your- eh?" Looking around, the man was nowhere to be found. "_Huh… where'd he go? Oh well."_ With that thought, he began walking towards Ichiraku Ramen.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of an alleyway, the man chuckled to himself. "Soon enough, Naruto-kun," he said, revealing his strangely pink eyes. "Soon, you will be mine, along with the world."

------------------------

The weeks passed. Naruto grabbed every mission he could while maintaining he and Tsunade's deal. The Fox/Slug/Hawk/Dog cell progressed rapidly, doing more and more difficult missions. Eventually, Sasuke was promoted to captain in ANBU. The next day, Sakura was named senior attending physician at the hospital, the youngest ever to do so since Tsunade herself. The weeks turned to months and eventually, Naruto tried to do something he'd known he'd have to do all along.

"Announce yourself," said the branch family Hyuuga.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto here to see Hyuuga Hiashi-san," he said, trying to be as polite as possible. "I believe I called ahead of time."

With one glance at the clipboard he held and a quick look through Naruto's pockets to see if he had any weapons, the Hyuuga said, "Very well. Come in."

It was at this time Naruto realized just how gigantic the Hyuuga mansion was. Sure, he'd lived in his own large estate for quite some time, but even so, this was the home of the most prominent clan in Konoha. "Announcing Uzumaki Naruto to see Hiashi-sama," said the guard who'd escorted Naruto throughout the building.

"_You could at least say Naruto-san, you stuck-up bastard,"_ thought Naruto, entering the room. There, sitting in a large chair, almost a throne, with Neji at his right side was Hyuuga Hiashi, the main branch's head and one of the most powerful people in all of Konoha. Neji was clad in all ANBU armor save the mask and looked as stone-faced as ever.

"Naruto-san," said Hiashi, an air of high-class arrogance about him. "Please, sit down." After Naruto did as he instructed, Hiashi continued, "I believe you already know Neji."

"Hello, Naruto," said Neji.

"Let's get down to the reason you're here." Activating his Byakugan, he said, "I can tell by your heart and brainwave emissions that you're here to ask me something very personal." Naruto could tell he was just trying to intimidate him. "So go ahead and ask."

"Okay," said Naruto. "I'm here…" he gulped, "To ask your permission to marry Hyuuga Hinata."

Hiashi was silent for a moment then physically burst out laughing. After this subsided, he replied, "Please, a low-class rat like you marrying the heir to this great clan's main branch? You must be kidding."

"I'm not," said Naruto, his teeth grinding.

"It's ridiculous to think that the Kyuubi brat could ever come close to my daughter. That you've managed to have this relationship with her is amazing. It was fun for a while, I imagine, but now that's over. Gono, Nezu, please help Naruto-san find the exit."

Naruto stood up. "I don't think so," he said. "You don't seem to get it. I'm not leaving here until you give me your permission."

Raising an eyebrow, Hiashi said, "Alright. Gono, Nezu, please force our guest off of the premises."

The guards were on him in a second, but Naruto was ready. Summoning a _bunshin_, he and his clone drove a _Rasengan_ into the chest of each guard. More guards took their place, but Naruto fought expertly, dodging each Juuken as it came and returning with breaking blows. After all the guards in the room were finished, Hiashi started a slow, fake clap. "Well done, Naruto-san. I never would've thought you could match the strength of some Hyuuga. Neji, take him down."

Both men's eyes widened. "Neji… you don't have to do this," said Nauto at almost a whisper, "I don't want to fight you again."

Neji assumed his eight trigrams stance. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Divination: _Hakke Rokujuuyon shou (Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms)."_ Neji lunged at Naruto, planting each of the palms at each of the proper locations. Naruto was unable to avoid a single one. The dust settled, and Neji looked down at his reluctant foe. Or at least, he would have, had he not been standing with a smile on his face. "You're…" Neji began, almost too startled to make coherent thoughts. "You're unharmed?"

Naruto's grin widened. "That's right, Neji. Don't bother asking how, 'cause I'm going to tell you anyway. Y'see, a while back, I thought of our battle in the Chuunin exams and how you utterly wailed on me with the Juuken. So I developed a strategy based on this theory. The Juuken works by powering chakra like a fist into the body of the opponent through the flesh. So, if a fist to attack can be made, why not one to block?" He didn't take time to let this sink in, instead forming a _Rasengan_ in his palm. "Sorry to have to do this to you, Neji."

"_Well…"_ thought Neji, bracing himself for the attack. "_Isn't that just like Naruto…" _The _Rasengan_ plowed into him, throwing him backwards into the far wall.

Hiashi no longer had a smug or arrogant look about him. He seemed genuinely irritated, as though something he'd dismissed as a nuisance had been left unchecked and had grown into a severe problem. "So you can even defeat Neji, Kyuubi-boy. Very well." He rose from his grandiose chair and assumed he Juuken stance. "Now it's time for me to show you why the Hyuuga clan is the strongest in Konoha!" He thrust one gentle palm out at Naruto, but all he hit was thin air. Naruto was already behind him.

"Now, I know you Hyuuga have 360 degree vision," said Naruto, watching with a smile as Hiashi turned to face him. "But really, it's more like 359, isn't it? I know you have one blindspot… it's on your neck area; Sakura-chan told me it was called something special. Oh yeah! It's the area right above the thoracic vertebrae." Another movement, too quick for Hiashi to see, and Naruto was behind him again, wielding a _kage bunshin _turned into a staff. "So… it'd probably hurt if I did this," he said, jabbing at the blindspot with enough force to throw Hiashi onto his face.

Hiashi got up, amazed at his opponent's thorough analysis of their secret blindspot. "You brat…" he muttered as Naruto stepped closer. "You're good, but not nearly enough to fight me! I was caught off guard because I underestimated you, but enough is enough!" Just as Naruto approached attacking distance, Hiashi roared, "_Kaiten (Rotation!)_" throwing Naruto away with heavy force.

Naruto got up easily. He'd been prepared for the attack and rose to meet it again. "I want you to try that again," he said, very calmly, "and I swear to you, it will never work after this!" He leapt at Hiashi, palm raised.

Hiashi smirked. "Don't be so arrogant, boy. _Kaiten!"_

"_Rasengan!"_

This time, it was Hiashi who was thrown backwards, spinning into a wall near Neji. Getting up in a rage, he asked, "How did you do that? How could you possible counter the _Kaiten_ of me, the Hyuuga leader?"

Still grinning, having never stopped this entire battle, Naruto replied. "I thought you might ask. _Kaiten_ is a rotation of chakra, creating a forcefield. _Rasengan_ is many random spirals inside a small dome. So again, thinking back on my battle with Neji, I thought one of the spirals must be in the opposite direction of the rotation. Since it's so chaotic and contained, the spiral is stronger than what it meets. The rest would drive through to the opponent; Namely, you. And so you know," he said, turning away from Hiashi, "You're not the strongest. I've fought two Uchiha clan members and they were much stronger than you."

"Why you-" he began, but was cut off by Neji, who stood in front of him.

"Hiashi-sama, it is extremely inadvisable that you continue this match."

"Neji! You're siding with him? How dare you!"

"No, sir. I am supposed to act as your bodyguard, and right now, that's what I'm doing. Look at this, you're exhausted and bruised from this battle…" Hiashi's eyes widened as he realized Neji's point. "But I don't think Naruto has even broken a sweat."

"Dear God…" whispered Hiashi.

"And surely a man of his strength is worthy of caring for Hinata-sama, don't you think?"

"So?" asked Naruto, his face completely serious now. "Are you going to give me permission, or do we have to continue this? I really don't want to hurt you further."

"_I can't believe it,"_ Hiashi thought, shaking his head, "_I have been defeated as a man and a warrior by this boy."_ "Alright. I hereby grant you permission to marry my daughter, Hyuuga Hinata. Please take care of her, kyuu- er, Naruto-kun."

Giving one last smile, Naruto said, "Thank you, Hiashi-sama. I promise I will."

"_Naruto…" _thought Neji, "_You defeated Hiashi-sama. How strong are you getting, exactly? Maybe your dream isn't so far off."_

Naruto began walking out of the estate, but turned back to say, "Oh, by the way. I'm the Fourth Hokage's son." With that, he dropped a few choice documents as evidence of his claim and left, leaving an admiring Neji and dumbfounded Hiashi in his wake.

-------------------------

I liked writing this chapter. It's not that often that we get to see Naruto utterly devastate an opponent. Well, you know the drill, people. Review, review, and review some more!


	14. Split the Branch

Author's note: I planned on writing a big, important scene this chapter… oh well, let's see how it goes.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Chapter Fourteen: Split the Branch

"Are you ready, Naruto-kun?"

"Sure thing, Hinata-chan…"

Naruto and Hinata were standing in one of Konoha's training fields, preparing to spar. Years ago, around the time of the Jounin exam, Hinata had asked Naruto for some training. She'd said at that time, "The Hokage's love and heir of the Hyuuga clan should be strong, right? I don't think anyone could teach me better than you, Naruto-kun." At the time, Naruto had gladly accepted her offer and from that began teaching her. Every free day since then, Naruto had trained her; Not excessively, just enough to keep her skills sharp.

"Naruto-kun? Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah, sorry. Let's do this."

The reason Hinata had needed to snap Naruto out of his thoughts was that he was deep in thought about his recent meeting with Hinata's father to gain his permission. Sure, he'd managed to accomplish this goal, but something weighed on his mind. It was true enough that his love's father had shown enough familial adoration for her, but his tone bothered Naruto. Instead of saying that he didn't want someone as strong and respected as Hinata seen with Naruto, Hiashi had made it seem as though she were some frail doll in danger of being broken. It was clear that he didn't think Hinata was strong enough to be head of the main branch.

"_Well, if he thinks she isn't strong enough… I'll make her strong enough,"_ he thought. "Hinata-chan, activate your Byakugan."

"What? Why?"

He paused for a moment. "Hinata… do you really want to become stronger?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then will you let me train you harder? Will you let me become a monster for this training?"

"Naruto-kun," she said softly a little put-off by his words, "Why… are you saying this?"

"'Cause I think you can be stronger than Neji."

Eyes widening, she whispered, "What did… you say?"

"You heard me. Hinata-chan, your strength has risen at the same rate his has, but here's the difference: He's had full and complete training from your father while you have pushed forward through sheer determination and the help of your friends, and yet your rate of growth has remained the same."

"But… Neji-niisan was stronger than I from the beginning, Naruto-kun."

"That's because he was driven by a great desire to hurt the main branch any way he could while you were inhibited by your self-consciouness, weren't you? But you do have the strength of your clan's main house, Hinata-chan. I believe in you, and that's why I want to train you so fiercely."

Heartened by Naruto's words, she uttered, "Byakugan," summoning her bloodline limit. "Please don't go easy on me, Naruto-kun."

"I won't," he said, forming the cross seal. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!"_ A few Naruto's poured out of the air, striking at Hinata, who swiftly dodged and destroyed each one. "_She really has gotten better,"_ he thought, sending a few more _bunshin_ her way, "_She's even managed to fire the _Juuken_ (gentle palm) through her feet. Let's see how she handles this…"_

Over twenty clones jumped out around Hinata, leaping at her all at once. "_Kaiten (Rotation)!" _she cried, sending each and every one of the attackers flying away to be turned into smoke.

"_Nice!"_ he thought, a smile on his face, "_But there's one more thing to try…"_ "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

This time, a legion of doppelgangers, almost one hundred, materialized in a close circle around Hinata, but far enough so that her _Kaiten_ would not reach them. As Naruto waited for her reaction, she calmly abandoned her normal stance, opting for a long yet narrow stance with one arm extending in each direction. "_Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou (Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms)_," she said briefly before leaping at the clone. However, instead of each series of strikes hitting a clone, each individual strike eliminated one.

Naruto watched, very pleased with his girlfriend's capabilities. "_Now that I know where she's currently at exactly, I can push her limits. Time to get serious."_ The _bunshin_ began to get more skilled, moving faster and faster and he himself joined in the fray. Hinata began struggling to dodge, getting grazed by blow after blow and barely managing to eliminate any of the _bunshin_ while doing so.

"Come on," he urged, "Fight harder! I know there's more that you have, Hinata-chan! I know that beneath that surface there's still something that can get angry and fight! Well use that anger, use it as your weapon and strike back!" "_Please… forgive me for this,"_ he said, forming his hands into the standard chakra molding seal. "Maybe then this'll work on you. _Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!"_ A small puff of smoke appeared and after dissipating, revealed none other than the form of Hyuuga Hiashi.

"F… Father?" Hinata stared at the vision of her father, mouth agape. Logically, she knew it was Naruto, but… her mind could only see Hiashi's angry face, causing all sorts of painful memories to rise up. It was then that she realized that she was surrounded by several transformed versions of her father.

"Fight, Hinata!" he said, leaping at her, "Fight, and use the raw power you have!"

"Don't fear anything!" said one _bunshin._

"Gather your resolve!"

"Use your anger as your weapon!"

Almost hyperventilating, tears spilling from her eyes, Hinata cried, "Stop!" Thrusting her palm out at the line of _bunshin_ in front of her, she yelled, "_Hakke Kuushou (Eight Trigrams Empty Palm)!"_ violently pushing away all the _bunshin_, bursting them, and forcing the real Naruto several yards away through many bushes and into a large tree, causing an enormous dent to appear in its trunk. Hinata calmed down, panting at exerting such a forceful attack. When she calmed down, she gasped, said, "Oh my God! Naruto-kun!" and rushed away to see whether her love was okay.

Meanwhile, Naruto was recovering from the effects of that attack. "_Ow… _Hakke Kuushou, _eh? Must be the one Neji told me about. But it's different from Neji's version. His uses blunt force, but Hinata-chan sharpens her chakra, making it into thin blades. When she uses this attack, it's more than a thin blade pushing forward… it's as though she has a whole chakra katana! If I hadn't used my special defense… things could have been difficult."_ He pondered this phenomenon for a moment. Instead of it being a "_Juuken (Gentle Fist),"_ it had been transformed into a "_Juu-ken (Gentle Sword)." _Naruto smiled at this play on words as he saw his beloved racing toward him.

"Naruto-kun!" she called, landing in front of him. "Oh God, are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Shh," he said, cutting her off. "I'm alright, Hinata-chan, see? No wounds or anything, so don't worry, okay?"

She nodded, then faced the ground. "I'm… I'm so relieved," she said with a sniffle.

"Hinata-chan?" He lowered himself to see her tearstained cheeks. "Are… are you crying?"

Through sobs, she said, "I'm sorry, it's just… when I saw you using _Henge_ as my father, just… things from my past came up, and I… I was really weakened until I just couldn't take it anymore and lashed out."

Naruto drew her close, embracing her in a tight hug. "No… I should be sorry," he said. "I just… I knew that would force out your anger, your inner fire… but it was a mistake, and I'm so sorry for putting you through it."

"No!" she said, piping up all of a sudden. "Naruto-kun, before today I'd never been able to sharpen the chakra of my _Hakke Kuushou_, but thanks to your urging… I was able to do it. This training can help me, Naruto-kun… I'm willing, if you are."

Never before had Naruto been so utterly dumbstruck by Hinata. He could see in her pale eyes the desire to get better, to become stronger… he saw the passion he felt in himself. "Are… are you sure?"

"Definitely."

Smiling, he said, "Alright then… let's call it quits for now. I have somewhere I need to be." With a kiss, he bounded off to be where he needed. "Practice sharpening your chakra while I'm gone!" he called back.

"Alright!" she answered, and reactivated her Byakugan and began firing small yet incredibly refined bits of sharpened chakra from her palms. "_I can do it,"_ she thought, _"I actually can."_

------------------

"You want me to do_ what?_ You're insane!" roared an angry Neji.

"Chill out, Neji," said Naruto. "It's a small favor for… say, not knocking Hiashi's lights out the other day?"

"Thank you for that, but that does not warrant this… this mad request!"

"Why?" he asked smugly. "Are you afraid you'll lose?"

"No! In fact… I won't do it because I am relatively certain I'll win! I will not fight Hinata-sama!"

"She can win. I've got faith in her."

"That's all well and good, but faith won't be enough. I still haven't gotten over the guilt from what I did to her at the chuunin exam all those years ago."

"Well, why not use this as a chance to let her pay you back? Listen, you're the strongest member of the Hyuuga for this generation. Hiashi adores training you because you're so strong. So if Hinata can show him that she's strong enough to defeat you and not just some defenseless princess, she will gain tremendous respect from him and the rest of the clan."

"I'd have to pull my punches, and people would know if I did that. Naruto… You've done a lot of good; not just for me, but also for the whole village. I understand you want to do right by the woman you love. But come on. You actually expect Hinata-sama to defeat me?"

Pointing his index finger with a cocky grin, Naruto replied, "One month. Give me one month to train her and I'll make her stronger than you. I promise you I'll do it, and you know me… I don't break promises."

Neji sighed. "Fine. I'll do it if you explain to people that it's not my fault she gets beaten up."

"Deal."

"But how can you of all people train her in one month to be so strong?"

Naruto's grin widened. "Well, I was trained by the technique master of Konoha and one of the _Sannin,_ so I figure I've picked up a good bit of experience."

"I don't want to see her hurt, Naruto."

"You should say that about yourself." Leaving Neji with that, Naruto returned to be with Hinata.

-------------------

The weeks passed as Naruto trained Hinata more and more rigorously, pushing her limits just enough so that her growth rate would be optimal. However, it wasn't until three weeks into the training that Naruto told her about his plan. "You're going to fight Neji this week," he said during a break for food.

Hinata choked on the vegetable in her mouth for a moment. When she stopped gagging and swallowed, she said, "… What? Why?"

"_Shit,"_ thought Naruto, "_I forgot to cook up a story. Uh… think fast…"_

Of course, outside of combat, this had never really been his thing, prompting him to stare blankly at Hinata for a moment before she asked, "Naruto-kun?"

"Oh!" he said, snapping his fingers rather conspicuously, "He, uh, he said he wants to train and… the only partner he wants is another Hyuuga." His eyes shifted a bit as he hoped his lie wasn't that transparent. Then again, he was talking to someone who could _see through walls,_ so his chances weren't that great.

Relief poured through him when instead of asking questions of suspicion, she merely said, "But there are plenty of other relatives we have that could train with him."

"Nuh-uh." Waving one finger, he said, "He specifically requested a match against you."

"Neji-niisan requested… me?"

"Yeah! And trust me, Hinata-chan, you'll be great."

"But…" she pushed her fingers together nervously. "But Neji-niisan is much stronger than I. He'll win without much effort."

"No," Naruto said simply, grasping her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I fought Neji recently and I've trained with you this last month and I honestly believe you can beat him."

Quietly, she asked, "… Really?"

He smiled. "Really."

"Okay then… I guess I'll do it."

"That's the spirit! Now come on, we still have a week of training to get through!"

------------------

The day of the exhibition arrived. While Neji and Hinata stood in the center of one of the training arenas on the Hyuuga estate, Naruto watched from one of the balconies above, arms folded and his usual cocky grin on his face. "_Come on, Hinata. Show your true strength."_

"Hinata-sama… you don't need to do this if you don't want to," said Neji, a concerned expression on his face.

Before, Hinata would have gladly taken an offer like that. Before, if Neji had wanted to fight her for a training match, she would have found someone to take her place. But now, a voice that sounded very close to Naruto's allowed these words to come out of her mouth: "No. I… I want to." Neji nodded and she added, "And please, Neji-niisan, don't go easy on me."

He gave a light smile. "I would never dream of it, Hinata-sama." As he stepped back, the two cousins entered their Juuken stance.

Manwhile, on the balcony above, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi had arrived. "Oh, good, you guys made it."

"Yeah," said Sasuke. "What do you want us here for, anyway? Moral support?"

"Kinda," replied Naruto. "Just wait, something pretty amazing's about to happen. Also, there's something I need you and Kakashi-sensei to do…"

At the arena, the Hyuuga in the center of the arena raised his hand. "Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata-sama. Combatants ready? Then… begin!" His hand flew down, prompting the beginning of the fight. "_Oh boy,"_ he thought, stepping out of the arena. "_I… should tell people what's going on around here. I don't want Neji to get the axe when he beats up Hinata-sama."_

Hinata and Neji leapt at each other, trading Juuken after Juuken, Byakugan active. Neji carefully avoided his opponent's strikes, taking time to think, "_I must hand it to Naruto. She has gotten better. Won't be enough, though."_ He started aiming for her Tenketsu, but to his surprise, she evaded and countered each blow.

In Hinata's mind, two thoughts were colliding. One said, "_I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it!" _but the other one replied, "_This is just like the chuunin exam all those years ago… I think I'm doing well, but soon enough, the rug will be pulled out from under me."_

Various family members began crowding into the arena balcony. Whispers filled the room; "What's going on?" "Neji's fighting Hinata-sama?" "The poor girl doesn't have a chance…"

"She's doing well!" said Sakura excitedly. "They seem to be almost equal."

"You're right, Sakura-chan," commented Naruto, watching the fight intently. "They are 'almost' equal."

"_She's been fighting much better than I've known her to, but this will end it," _said Neji. "_Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!"_ The onslaught of palms struck Hinata fully, or so Neji thought. When he finished his attack, Hinata was still standing in battle stance. "_What? Did she use Naruto's special anti-Juuken defense? No, that's not quite right."_

"Impressive," said Kakashi, Sharingan active. "The instant Neji-kun began his attack, she countered with the exact same move, causing all sixty-four strikes to hit each other, making his attack neutral. But that's not all."

Suddenly, Neji's palms began hurting. "_How did she… did she get in extra strikes? That's not possible, I would have seen them." _He was snapped out of his thoughts by the form of Hinata flying at him, palms raised. "_No time to think,"_ "_Kaiten!"_

Again Hinata countered with an identical move, and the opposite forces of the spinning threw both combatants backward. As they got up and leapt at each other once more, it became increasingly evident that they were becoming tired from this fight. Blow after blow, they each managed to hit and evade each other evenly. After one palm against palm, Hinata and Neji were on opposite sides of the arena.

It was then that Hyuuga Hiashi entered the balcony, standing next to Naruto. "What the hell?" he said, eyes wide. "What are they- Why are they fighting? Neji will trounce Hinata, what's going on?"

"Your daughter winning," replied Naruto.

"_One last thing to try… she can't possibly counter this," _thought Neji. He drew his palm backward and watched Hinata do the same.

Together, they cried, "_Hakke Kuushou!"_ Instantly, two large masses of chakra clashed and when it was over, Neji was on the ground, leaning against the wall, unconscious.

"Woah," said Sasuke. "Kakashi, did you see that?"

"See what?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah. Their attacks were of a near equal level, but Hinata's was made of a sort of… chakra sword, so to speak. Thus, it tore through Neji's attack like a sword against a palm. The same thing happened with the sixty-four palms earlier."

"Wow…" was all Sakura could say.

"I-Impossible…" Hiashi said breathlessly. "Neji… defeated by Hinata?"

"There's no such thing as 'impossible,'" said Naruto and leapt from the balcony. "Hinata-chan, you did it! See? I was right, you are strong!" But Hinata still had a crestfallen look on her face. "Huh? What's wrong? You won!"

"Neji-niisan… he was pulling his punches. I could tell."

"I guessed you might think that. That's why I brought along Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke. In fact, I bet they're telling your father right now…"

"Hiashi-san, our eyes can track the flow and movement of chakra," said Kakashi, "We can safely assure you that Hinata has defeated Neji while he was at maximum strength."

"This is… this is quite something," said Hiashi and was so astonished by this statement that he had to slump down against the wall to avoid falling. Hinata, on the other hand, had a much larger reaction to this news.

She fainted.

--------------------------

A few hours later, Hinata awoke to Naruto's smiling face and recognized the room as Naruto's bedroom in his mansion. Returning that smile, she said, "Mm… what a dream. I dreamt that I fought Neji-niisan and won, Naruto-kun."

"Not a dream," said Naruto. "You passed out after the fight and I carried you here."

"Wow…" she said, taking in the events of the day. "Thank you so much, Naruto-kun."

Naruto puzzled. "Huh? For what?"

"You trained me. You pushed my limits to their maximum, but most of all, it's once again thanks to you that my life has gotten better."

He didn't say anything, but kissed her instead. Such had become the custom that whenever either one would deliver such a beautiful remark like that that the receiver of said remark would respond with but a kiss.

And how they just loved tradition.

--------------------

It had only been a week since Hinata's victory over Neji, but word had spread quickly throughout the Hyuuga house. Instead of people condescending to her, they were greeting her with the proud respect that only one fit for leading the main house deserves.

Within that same week, Sakura had been promoted to assistant Chief of Medicine in the hospital. Sasuke's position of captain had been replaced with head of interrogations once Ibiki stepped down. Naruto, meanwhile, remained at entry-level rank in ANBU. Eventually, he got extremely fed up with it.

"Tsunade-baachan!" he called, stomping through the halls of the Hokage building. "I need to have a word with you!"

"_This can't be good,"_ Tsunade thought. Naruto's stomping was so forceful that several papers from the gigantic stacks in her office were falling, causing Shizune and Tonton to scramble to pick them up. "What is it, Naruto?"

He waved a clenched fist at her. "I want you to tell me why Sasuke and Sakura-chan have been promoted so quickly!"

"Simple," said Tsunade. "They do exceptional work. Their performance in each of their fields outclasses several more-experienced workers."

"That's not what I meant!" he shouted. "Why haven't I been promoted? I'm stuck in the same job that I had when I joined up with ANBU!"

"Naruto, don't be so loud, plea-"

"And damn it all, I do much better work than Sasuke, if I do say so myself! I get missions done in half the time with a third of the complications! Well? What reason can there possibly be for keeping me at such a terrible status?"

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto… there's a very good reason for your lack of promotions."

"Yeah? What is it, eh?"

"I was planning on telling you as a surprise later, but- what the hell?"

What had cut Tsunade off was a large explosion outside the Hokage building. In a flash, Naruto had opened the window and leapt out of it into the streets. When he landed, all he could see was smoke at first, but after he closed his eyes and initiated his second sight, he caught the faint outline of a black cloak with red clouds on it.

"Akatsuki!" he snarled.

The smoke cleared, revealing a man with spiky brown hair, pink eyes, and six dots on his nose. "I figured this would be the easiest way of getting you here." He stepped forward and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the founder and leader of Akatsuki, Naruto-kun, and today is the day you die."

--------------------

Ominous ending, eh? Ah well, review and you'll get the chapter quickly!

I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. I really like Hinata's character… she and Naruto would be such a great match, but Kishimoto would never write it like that… But what can you do? I'll tell you. You can write fanfiction!

Anyway, review and review, and inspiration will strike me sooner!


	15. The monster within v The monster without

Author's note: Here it is, people, the moment you've been waiting for, the climactic battle! In celebration, I've named it in the style of an anime episode.

Disclaimer: You think I own it? I laugh at you.

Chapter Fifteen: Clash! The Monster Within vs. The Monster Without

_The smoke cleared, revealing a man with spiky brown hair, pink eyes, and six dots on his nose. "I figured this would be the easiest way of getting you here." He stepped forward and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the founder and leader of Akatsuki, Naruto-kun, and today is the day you die."_

"Is that so," said Naruto, teeth clenched. "Where's your partner? Don't you Akatsuki bastards come in twos?"

"I'm afraid not," said the leader. "Thanks to your efforts, my organization has been nearly extinguished. Now, it's just me: Ten no Takamaru."

"Hawk of the heavens, huh? That's a pretty flashy name. Good thing you told me, though; I take the time to learn the names…" he leapt at his opponent, "of people that I'm about to _kill!"_

"That's interesting," he returned, "Because I do that too."

The Akatsuki Leader caught Naruto in midair and swung him back from whence he came. By this time, a group was forming, having heard the large explosion. Hinata landed next to him and said, "Naruto-kun, I'm here! Let's work together and-"

"No." Hinata was slightly stunned. Naruto never used such a forceful tone with her. "Stay back and whatever you do, _do not_ come near us."

Her enhanced eyes scanned Naruto's faces. "_Naruto-kun is sweating, and his breathing's shaky,"_ she thought and reluctantly concluded, "_He's really frightened about this fight."_ Nodding, she began to step away, saying, "Naruto-kun, please be careful." She waited for him to give her words of reassurance, some cocky phrase, maybe a cheesy thumbs-up… but it never came as she retreated to safer grounds.

"There's something you should know," said the Leader. "I am also called '_Tenchu no Takamaru (Heaven's Wrath, Takamaru),_' because whenever I target someone…" in an instant, he was above Naruto, fists raised, "It is as though heaven itself has judged them."

"Shit!" said Naruto, trying to roll out of the way, only to be smashed in the side by a crushing blow from Takamaru. He flew sideways, falling ungracefully in a heap of dust. As he got up, however, he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked the Akatsuki.

"You… you can't kill me, right? You have to go easy on me; otherwise, you can't take the Kyuubi out of me. So I have an advantage."

Takamaru glared. Materializing behind Naruto, he said, "Just because I may or may not be allowed to kill you," he grabbed his skull and smashed him into the ground, creating a sizeable crater, "Does not improve your chances of winning. And I can kill you. It's far more convenient not to, but I will if I have to. Now, get up." He walked a few yards away from Naruto. "There's something I want you to do for me. I want you to summon all nine tails of the Kyuubi."

"Tch!" said Naruto, spitting away some of the blood in his mouth, "Not a chance."

"If you want, fine. But if you don't…" he pulled out a knife and pointed it at Hinata, "I will kill each and every one of your friends, starting with your girlfriend."

"Don't do it, Naruto-kun!" yelled Hinata.

"Damn it!" Naruto held his fingers together, gathering chakra. "_I can summon the Kyuubi's chakra while maintaining control up to three tails. Four tails and beyond… I can't do anything about it. My only choice is to power enough chakra through me so that it carries on after four tails. I just hope I don't do too much damage while in that state."_ He roared, his fangs protruding forward, his eyes glowing red and his whisker marks bolded.

"This is it," muttered the Akatsuki leader. "This is my ultimate objective."

Instantly, three tails sprouted along with Naruto's chakra shield. A fourth tail began emerging along with the darker chakra, but Naruto kept focusing, throughout the pain. Two more tails sprouted, bringing Naruto to six, while his eyes were clamped shut in agony. Two more tails growing, the darker chakra had reached an opaque orange color and had nearly reached Naruto's face. Then, as the chakra formed a complete shell, the ninth tail sprouted.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

"He's going to kill us all!"

"It's the Kyuubi! _The Kyuubi!"_

"I knew he couldn't be trusted!"

"He was demonspawn after all!"

"Stop," said the Akatsuki leader, staring straight into the face of the Kyuubi. He placed one finger on its nose and in a burst of sound, the chakra dissolved, leaving Naruto in a freefall from several stories up.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped, rushing to catch him, but was beaten to the punch by two figures.

"Don't worry about this, Naruto," said Kakashi, laying his body gently on the ground. "We can handle it."

"You guys…" he moaned weakly. "You can't, he's too-"

"Always getting yourself into trouble, aren't you?" said Sasuke, Sharingan swirling. "Ready, Kakashi?"

"Let's go." The two leapt at Takamaru, dominant hands forward. "_Raikiri (Lightning Blade)!"_

"_Chidori (One Thousand Birds)!"_

Movements fluid, Takamaru caught the wrists of the two Sharingan users right below the electricity. "That's not gonna work."

"Now, Kakashi!" Sasuke said, activating his eye technique. "_Mangekyou Sharingan!"_

It seemed, for a moment, that they had won and that this menace's mind was crushed. However, that hope was abandoned when his pink irises glowed for a moment, then blasted the _doujutsu (eye technique)_ away. "Neither will that. Now, you," he said, turning to Sasuke, "are Uchiha Sasuke. You provided quite a bit of trouble for my organization. You even managed to surpass your brother. That's something to be proud of. But I think I should at least provide some form of retribution. After all, Itachi was a good member of my team." With that, he crushed Sasuke's wrist like a twig and sent him flying with a geyser of water from his palm.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura had arrived just in time to intercept Sasuke's unconscious body. "Oh no," she murmured, looking over his body. "He's… too powerful, isn't he? He didn't use any seals or anything for that technique"

"And you are Hatake 'Sharingan' Kakashi. You were also a thorn in my paw, though you didn't exactly destroy a member of my group by yourself, did you? But then… you did manage to take out one of Kakuzu's hearts, so I suppose that's impressive enough." Again, without seals or the technique's name, a pillar of earth crashed out of his palm, rapidly slamming Kakashi away.

Rin was lucky enough to take the hit from the pillar for him, but the momentum pushed them into a wall across the street. "Kakashi… Kakashi, speak to me," she said, covering his Sharingan.

"Unh…" he mumbled, struggling to stay awake, "This man… cannot be beaten… but must not be allowed victory."

"Is there anyone else?" asked Takamaru, turning to face the audience before him. "Konoha shinobi, I do not wish to hurt you. You are a proud and good people, but if any of you try to get in the way of my work…"

"That's enough outta you," said Naruto, healed enough from the transformation into the Kyuubi. "I'm your target, right? You'll fight me and only me."

Takamaru looked once more at his foe. "That's what I would prefer."

"But there's something I gotta know, before we continue," said Naruto. "Why are you damned Akatsuki after me and the rest of the Jinchuuriki?"

"There is no 'rest.' Unless you count Sabaku no Gaara, who no longer has the Shukaku within him, there are no remaining Jinchuuriki aside from you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Then they're…"

"Dead, yes," the Leader continued. "They are dead along with everyone who tried to defend them. To be honest, there weren't that many. In fact, you're an anomaly, Naruto-kun. The only other Jinchuuriki who had any sort of liking or respect from anyone was Sabaku no Gaara and I know that was from your influence. This has made it infuriating to capture you."

"What can I say? I'm just a tricky kinda guy."

"Yeah. But I suppose as this is the day you die, you have a right to know our motivations. The reason I founded Akatsuki and recruited criminals, mass murderers, terrorists, and general maniacs is for one simple goal: Peace."

Blinking for a moment, Naruto whispered. "… Peace?"

"I know it sounds pretty crazy. Here's the short version. If we capture all the tailed beasts and offer to fight wars for countries, eventually we will control the whole war aspect and therefore, the world. When we control war, there will be none."

"So you'll put the world in your iron grip. Interesting. But I suppose, as this is the day _you_ die, you have the right to know this." He grinned slyly. "This is a _bunshin."_ The clone disappeared and Takamaru only had one moment to turn around before he was hit with Naruto and his doppelganger's _Oodama Rasengan (Great Ball Spiraling Sphere)._ A massive hole in the ground appeared from this attack. Leaping out of it, Naruto exclaimed, "Hah! That's why idiots like you will never be able to kill me!"

The first way Naruto knew his chest was impaled on an arm was not from pain, but from the sight of it. The sight of the attack was swifter than the reaction of pain. As he was lifted and thrown a distance away, he could only hear the Akatsuki leader's voice saying, "Kill you?" as though from a far distance. Things began going dark. "Why, Naruto-kun, you are already dead."

That was when time slowed to a crawl for Hinata. There, floating as though suspended by some outside force was the man she loved. His face didn't look much different than it had moments ago. It was still light and energetic, save the color slowly draining from it. She wished she could kiss it, just one last time. And then it hit her.

Uzumaki Naruto was dead.

The pain in her heart flooded her; she felt she was going to suffocate from it. The only thing that kept her breathing at that point was the immense column of anger that supported her. It became difficult, horrendously painful to breath. In a burst of that combination of rage and agony, she screamed, Byakugan activating without her knowledge. "I'll kill you!" she shrieked and shot at the man who'd murdered her love as though the wind itself was propelling her.

"Hinata-sama, no!" yelled Neji. "Damn it!" He jumped toward the Akatsuki Leader hoping to arrive before his cousin got herself killed.

The two Hyuuga reached Takamaru at roughly the same time. Without even blinking, the cloaked man swatted his attackers away with the force of a freight train in each fist. Neji was instantly knocked unconscious, but Hinata leapt back up as though she'd merely tripped. _"So it seems she has gone berserk and no longer feels her wounds… Quite a shame."_

Seeing Hinata rise to fight time after time, other shinobi rose to fight. The rest of the original Rookie Nine, Tenten, Lee, Guy, several other Jounin and even Konohamaru's team attempted to strike down this menace. But only Hinata returned to the fight after each blow.

Tsunade had watched from above as her village's soldiers threw itself at this unstoppable man, a conflict of conscience in her mind. "_I'm the Hokage! I need to defend my people,"_ she thought, "_But… they're only trying to defend one man. They would not have their leader sacrificed for one person, much less a dead one."_ She clenched a fist. "_To hell with it."_

"You keep attacking," said Takamaru, holding Hinata at arm's length by the throat. "I don't want to kill you, but can't you see there's nothing you can do? He's dead. I just need his body."

Hinata didn't respond, instead opting to smash a juuken into each side of her attacker's arm. He released his grip and she leapt back, ready and willing to try again. However, someone stepped in between them.

"That's as far as you go," said Tsunade. "You will not take Naruto."

"Ah. Tsunade of the _Sannin _and Hokage of this village. Have you ever thought of the fact that the village would rather not lose its Hokage again?"

"I did think of that," she replied, "But then I thought of what I told Naruto when I first chose to be Hokage. From now on, I will risk my life!" Charging her fist, she tore after the Akatsuki leader who took extra special care to dodge her powerful fists. After nimbly dodging, however, he managed to deliver several powerful strikes.

"Tsunade-sama is fighting! Everyone, quickly!" yelled a Jounin in the crowd. Immediately, every available ninja leapt into the fray, forming a semi-dogpile on the Akatsuki leader.

When it seemed he was finally smothered, Takamaru let slip the first amount of emotion he'd shown throughout the battle. From within the pile, he roared, "Enough!" and with a wave of chakra, everyone was flung away, scattered throughout the area, leaving only Hinata. She remained kneeling on the floor a few yards from Naruto's body, arms outstretched. "And so, we come back to this," he said, approaching her. "I will ask you one more time to let me through."

"No. Never," she said, even as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

He sighed and raised a fist. "Very well," he said, and struck down with it.

"_I love you, Naruto-kun…"_

"_Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!"_

Where a second before there had been an oddly shaped kunai was now a fist blocking the Akatsuki Leader's attack. "What?'

"Naruto-kun!"

"Sorry to worry you, Hinata-chan, and sorry to everyone else. Thanks for fighting for me. But I'm back now and I swear I'm going to finish this!"

"I'm curious," said Takamaru, withdrawing his fist. "How are you alive?"

"Like I said, I'm a tricky kinda guy," said Naruto. "And you know what? I am sick and tired of megalomaniacs like you and Orochimaru claiming that they have some grand purpose behind their sick goals. Understanding of everything? Absolute peace? Bullshit! You just want power over everything." He leapt above the Akatsuki leader. "And to tell you the truth, I won't have any more of it!"

The two returned to an incredibly intense battle. Of course, only the members of the Hyuuga house, Sasuke, Kakashi, and a few with especially sharp eyes were able to see the battle at the speed it was occurring. "_His speed's improved,"_ thought Takamaru, "_In fact, every aspect of his combat is better. The hole in his chest has even stopped bleeding, but there are no markings of the fox's manifestation."_

Just then, Naruto increased his speed, smashing his fist into his enemy's face. "This is for spearing your hand through my chest!" Another fist, directed toward the abdomen. "This is for hurting my friends!" He leapt to meet his foe in midair and kicked his back. "That's for attacking my village!" And finally, grabbing his leg, spinning around and throwing him into a wall, he said, "And that was for hurting Hinata-chan!"

He only stayed down for a second. "Is that it?" he asked, standing up and brushing the debris off of him.

"_Not quite,"_ thought Naruto, holding his right palm up.

Sasuke and Kakashi were sitting near each other, nursing their wounds, but viewing the battle with their Sharingan nonetheless. "Kakashi…" said Sasuke, "Are… are you seeing this?"

"I am, but I don't believe it."

Each of Naruto's fingers on his right hand had begun glowing with one of five differently colored lights. "N-Naruto-kun…" said Hinata, viewing the scene with her Byakugan, "What are you doing?"

"I have no idea. _Katon (fire release)."_ A red, flickering beam emerged from one finger, stopping just above the center of his palm. "_Suiton (water release)."_ A blue beam, wavering like a stream. "_Doton (earth release)."_ Black, straight and rigid. "_Raiton (lightning release)."_ Yellow, a crackling, zigzagging line, and finally, "_Fuuton (wind release)!" _Grey, spinning like a miniature tornado. The beams converged a few inches above the center of Naruto's palm and began…

"… Swirling? What the hell is he doing?" asked Sasuke.

"Simple…" said Kakashi. "He's making an omni-elemental _Rasengan._"

"You call that simple?"

"Well, relatively speaking. The most insane part is that he's doing it _one handed_."

"Interesting," said Takamaru, rushing at Naruto with lightning-quick speed. "Seems I just have to avoid that thing and I'm in the clear. Looks like it takes up a lot of chakra, too, even for you."

Naruto remained uncharacteristically silent, dodging every strike with precision. All he could think about were the words left to him in his father's letter: "_You have an incredible _kekkei genkai (bloodline limit),_ one that I tried very hard to unlock." "I guess this it," _Naruto thought. "_Thank you, dad. I only get one shot at this… gotta make it count!"_ "_Tajuu Kage bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Shadow Clone Technique)!"_ he roared, creating the _bunshin_ with one hand. Said _bunshin_ surrounded Takamaru and began attacking from every direction.

Now it became increasingly difficult for the Akatsuki leader to dodge and destroy each _bunshin_. It was not until it was to late that he realized he had lost sight of the original. Unfortunately for him, when he realized this, he did not see that a few _bunshin_ had spotted an opening. One leapt up and said, "U!"

"Zu!"

"Ma!"

"Ki!"

Tsunade had time to instruct everyone to get down before Naruto roared, "_Fainaru Rasengan (Final Spiraling Sphere)!"_ and plunged the _Rasengan_ into Takamaru's gut. The result was a tremendous explosion of pure white energy, one that threatened to devour the entire area they were in. At least, it seemed that way until the explosion began sucking itself back in as though it were being pulled by a vacuum, annihilating everything in its radius (including several bricks in the road and a few trees) with an enormous vortex until finally, it became so compressed that it shrank into nothingness, leaving behind only a puff of smoke.

"What… what just happened?" asked Sasuke, emerging from the rubble.

"I..." began Kakashi, a little dumbstruck by this, "Right now, I can't explain what we just witnessed."

Naruto landed next to Hinata where he'd defended her. She seemed to be amazed at his sheer presence as she was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Hey," he said, swaying slightly and reaching for a small box in his pocket. Opening it, he revealed a beautiful, intricately designed ring. "Will you marry me, Hinata-chan?"

These words snapped her out of her reverie. Though her tears had stopped with the knowledge of his survival, they began flowing once more, this time with joy. "Oh my… Oh my God, yes! Yes, yes, of course I'll marry you, Naruto-kun!" she cried out, kissing him intensely.

After he fitted the ring onto her finger, he said. "Good." As the blood resumed flowing from his wound, he collapsed to the ground, immediately falling unconscious.

"Naru… Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked meekly. When she saw he was barely breathing, she turned to the crowd and yelled "We need a medical team over here immediately! He's dying! Help, someone, please!"

Tsunade rushed over, flanked by two medical ninja. Picking up his body, she said, "We'll make sure he's okay, Hinata," and bolted off at top speed towards the hospital.

Hinata began to give chase, but suddenly, the pain of the wounds she'd ignored during battle reached her in full. "Hinata-sama," Neji said, arriving next to her while clutching his bruised ribs with one hand. "I need to get you to some treatment."

"I'm fine," she protested. "I'm not in life-threatening danger, I just need to be with Naruto-kun." She tried to get up, but both legs were wounded.

"Hinata-sama," said Neji, gently trying to reach her. "Naruto wouldn't want you suffering over him, would he? I promise you you'll be able to see him as soon as you get examined, okay?"

She sighed. "Okay," she said, and allowed her cousin to carry her to the hospital.

--------------------

Later, at the hospital, Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi, Rin and Hinata waited outside the emergency room where Naruto was being treated. Sakura and Rin, both heavily bruised, sat next to the men they loved; Sasuke held one arm in a sling and Kakashi, exhausted from his use of the _Mangekyou Sharingan_ and prolonged use of his left eye, was stuck in a wheelchair. Hinata was covered head to toe in bandages and kept twiddling her thumbs in anxiety. Every so often, some of the less-injured shinobi would stop by to check on Naruto's condition, and would then proceed to check on their other friends. No one dared to say anything, fearing the answers to their questions.

Eventually, the red light outside the room faded and out stepped Tsunade. All eyes fell on her grim expression. "He's technically stable, but…" she put one hand on Hinata's shoulder, "Due to extreme mental collapse, physical exhaustion, blood loss and most surprisingly chakra depletion, Naruto has fallen into a very deep coma."

All faces fell. Hinata began shedding tears once more, but nonetheless asked, "What is the prognosis, Tsunade-sama?"

"I'm afraid… there's very little chance he will wake up."

----------------------

Cliffhanger'd. Sorry to leave you like this, but I'd like to leave the rest of the plot to the next chapter.

By the way, for those who don't know, the Japanese would say "Fainaru" for "Final," just as Guy's "Dynamic Entry" is actually "Dainamikku Entorii."

Anyway, please review, as usual. Tell me what you think of everything; of the fight scene, whether you want me to redo it or not, of Naruto's ultimate move, of the Akatsuki Leader's name, anything. I planned this whole chapter a while ago. I just want to know if I did it right.


	16. Infinite Patience

Disclaimer: Well, that took a grim turn. But if you guys are willing to stick around, I've got plenty of new stuff to churn out. I just hope the latest chapters don't drive you guys away… and by the way, I am taking Japanese, currently entering my AP year.

Author's Note: Nope. Not a damned thing.

Chapter Sixteen: Infinite Patience

"B-but," said Sakura, trying to hold back tears, "What about the Kyuubi chakra? It should heal him, shouldn't it?"

"The Kyuubi's being drawn out so fully during the battle has caused the chakra to now focus on healing the damage done by that, so very little is left to actually heal Naruto. If I were to guess, I'd say that's the only thing keeping him alive right now."

"But there's a chance, right?" asked Hinata.

"Excuse me?"

"There's a chance Naruto-kun will wake up, isn't there?"

Sighing, Tsunade answered, "Yes… there is a slight chance Naruto will wake up. But it's a very slim chance, and-"

"Then he will wake up," Hinata responded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Naruto-kun wouldn't let himself be beaten after winning a battle like that. So I'll be here with him when he does wake up."

Tsunade nodded. "Okay. I'll take you to the room where we transferred him and have some orderlies set up a nice arrangement for you."

Getting up ever so gently as to not exacerbate her wounds, Hinata whispered, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

--------------

"_Naruto-kun…"_ Hinata had been sitting in Naruto's room, holding and gently stroking his limp hand. "_I can't believe you might not… No, wait, I can't think like that. I can't, I shouldn't, and I won't!"_ She shook her head trying to dispel pessimistic thoughts.

"You should talk to him, you know," said Sakura as she stepped through the doorway.

"Huh? Sakura-chan, should you be walking about?" asked Hinata.

"I'm okay… my injuries weren't so bad, not nearly as bad as yours, anyway. I'm just here to deliver your food, actually." She placed the covered bowl in front of Hinata.

"Is that really a job for the assistant Chief of Medicine?"

"No," said Sakura, smiling, "But I thought you might like something special."

"Special…?" Hinata looked down at the top of the bowl where in small writing was written "Ichiraku." She almost immediately started crying as she tore off the lid, picked up her chopsticks and said, "Thank you very much, Sakura-chan. Itadakimasu."

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "As I was saying, you should talk to Naruto… comatose people seem to respond well to voices, especially those of people they love."

"… Really?" she said, uncharacteristically speaking through a mouthful of ramen.

"_She's picked up some habits of yours, hasn't she, Naruto?"_ "Yes."

Swallowing with a sniffle, Hinata said, "You know… I really admire you, Sakura-chan."

"Huh?"

Tears were now flowing down her cheeks. "I just… I'm sitting here and I haven't stopped crying for more than five minutes. Just the sight of him makes me weep uncontrollably, but you, you, Sakura-chan, you're still up and about, doing your job, no less!" She sighed. "I wish I could be half as strong as you."

"No," said Sakura, shaking her head. "It must be harder on you than it is on me… Sure, he's my best friend, but he's… he's your fiancé. And I'm not so strong." She gulped and said, "I'm sorry, but I h-have to get going. Good bye, Hinata-chan." With that, she ran out of the room and down the hall, where she found Sasuke leaning against the wall.

"It's okay," he said, holding her with his good arm. "She can't hear you." Sakura nodded and broke down, crying a flood of tears into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke responded by gently stroking her pink locks. "_Don't do this to her,"_ thought Sasuke, "_Don't do this to me, your best friend, either. But most of all, don't do this to that girl in there."_

"I'm scared, Sasuke-kun," Sakura sobbed. "I can't believe he could be killed… he was always so strong."

"I know," he said, laying a kiss on her forehead. "I know."

----------------------

"Should we go to your bed, Kakashi?"

"I'd prefer to wheel around a bit more, if you can."

"No problem, my shift doesn't start for another few hours anyway. But, Kakashi… you seem to be taking little Naruto's coma pretty well."

"Oh, you know me, Rin. I don't show much emotion. But the left side of my mask is pretty wet…"

She gave a sad smile. "Of course…"

-------------------

"What do you mean, 'Naruto's in a coma'?" yelled Jiraiya, smashing both hands onto Tsunade's desk.

"That's just it, Jiraiya," she replied. "While you were away, the founder of Akatsuki came and Naruto… he fought with everything he had; he even killed the bastard with a _Rasengan_ that used every single element.

Jiraiya stood dazed for a moment. "… What? An omni-elemental _Rasengan?_ But that's…_"_

"Impossible?" finished Tsunade. "That's what I thought. But Sasuke and Kakashi both saw it with their Sharingan. It created some sort of… vacuum in at the center of the blast that utterly annihilated the Akatsuki Leader. Amazingly, it did no damage to Naruto. By all reason, he should have no right arm anymore."

"But now he's… in a coma."

Tsunade's expression grew grim. "He probably won't wake up, either. We're keeping him on life support, but… no one else could live with wounds that severe."

Fist clenched, he thought, "_Damn it. If only I had been there, I could have…"_

"Don't blame yourself," said Tsunade as if she'd read his thoughts. "Your presence would not have done anything. He defeated _me_, Jiraiya, the Hokage of this village… you couldn't have done a single thing about it."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

She sighed. "I'm just saying… Naruto came into this situation because of who he was and what he was… and if he weren't either, he wouldn't be in a coma. He'd be dead. …Where are you going?" she asked, seeing Jiraiya leave.

He paused. "I'm… going to go think about things."

As he left the room, she called, "Don't drink too much!" _"Geez… as if I didn't enough to worry about."_

----------------

"_So that's what it comes down to, doesn't it?"_ Jiraiya thought, entering the bar. "_I'm just a weak old man in the end."_ "Some sake, please," he told the server.

"Right away, Jiraiya-sama."

"Hey," he said, turning to see Sasuke making his way through a bottle himself, "Aren't you underage?"

Sasuke glared at him, Sharingan active. "What are you going to do about it?"

"No need to threaten," Jiraiya responded calmly, taking a sip of alcohol. "I won't turn you in. I just never knew you drank."

"Sorry," Sasuke said, disengaging his eye technique. "I never used to drink. Never saw the appeal. But now… I just can't stand the idea of waiting for something to happen. I'm not sure I _want_ something to happen… the odds are against anything good happening."

"Well then," Jiraiya said, lifting a sake bottle, "Here's to Naruto's health."

After a moment, Sasuke lifted his bottle too. Clinking them together, he said, "I'll drink to that."

--------------------

"_Sasuke-kun said he'd be gone a while… I should check up on Hinata-chan and Naruto,_" Sakura thought, stepping through the halls of the hospital. Eventually, she arrived at the room the two of them had been staying in. She knew that no matter how painful it would be for her, she had to walk in. Nothing had changed, from what Sakura could see, except now the bowl of ramen was empty. Hinata was muttering things to Naruto, mainly things about love and faith. "Hinata-chan? Are you alright?"

"No," came the small reply.

"I mean… are you alright, other than this?"

"Yes… I suppose so."

"At least you've stopped crying. That's good, right?"

"That's… not quite right," she said, and then turned her face to Sakura, revealing the recently dried stains of sorrow on her cheeks. "I've just run out of tears to cry."

Sakura struggled for words for a second. She clapped a hand on Hinata's shoulder and said, "He'll get better. I know he will."

"Yes. He definitely will," she said, and returned to talking to her comatose love.

Quietly, Sakura left the room and felt the familiar pain of tears welling up. She only let a few pass the threshold as he thought, "_Hinata-chan's being strong… I have to be strong too."_

-------------------

Time, it seemed, acted especially cruelly on the denizens of Konoha, for it slowed down to such an extent that the days seemed like months and the weeks like years. That's why when it reached a month, everyone had grown extremely anxious about Naruto's condition. Sasuke's arm had healed, Kakashi had left his wheelchair, and Hinata's bandages were removed. Yet still, she remained by his side nearly every second of the day.

That's why Tsunade knew where to find her on this day.

"Hinata, I have Naruto's latest test results, if I may show you."

Not moving from her position, she replied, "Go ahead." She'd grown accustomed to Tsunade, Sakura, Shizune, or any other medical personnel telling her that nothing had changed.

Tsunade opened the folder and began reading the chart within. As she finished, she clenched her fist, thinking, "_Damn it all."_ "I'm… sorry, Hinata. Naruto isn't responding to the treatment anymore… we have to pull the plug."

Hinata bolted from the chair and immediately grasped Tsunade's collar, Byakugan active. "How can you say that?" she demanded. "How can you tell me we can't do anything about this? _You're_ supposedly the medical genius, right? _You_ are the one who could fix him! So _fix him_, damn it!"

Tsunade merely stared down at Hinata, a mournful expression covering her features. "The most painful sentence for a medic to say is the one I must say now. I'm sorry, but there's nothing more we can do. Now, I understand if you want to be away when this happens, so I can-"

"No," said Hinata, releasing Tsunade's collar, eyes reverted, and sitting back down in her chair. "I want to be with him in his… his…" she gulped, gathering the courage to say those heart wrenching words. "His last m-moments," she choked out.

"You're a brave girl," said Tsunade. "And you would have made a good wife." To Hinata, it seemed Tsunade was moving in slow motion as she reached over and with a simple button-press, turned off the machine that was keeping Naruto alive.

Having shed so many tears recently, Hinata didn't notice they were flowing once more. "What happens now…?" she whispered.

"He's still technically alive," said Tsunade. "But… now we wait for his body to give up. Either it does, or he starves to death. Whichever way he chooses… it will be painless. I take it you want to stay with him?" Hinata nodded. "Alright. I won't disturb you."

Shizune stepped in, Tonton in her arms. "You wanted to see me, Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes," said Tsunade. "I want you to gather up a team to alert whoever would want to know that… that Uzumaki Naruto has been taken off of life support."

For a moment, Shizune's eyes widened in horror, but then she gathered herself immediately. "Right away, Tsunade-sama. But why would we need a team?"

"Because there are a lot of people who will want to know this."

------------------

When the news arrived, it was as though a storm had been placed over Konoha. Sasuke and Sakura had been walking the streets together when they were informed. Sakura's knees gave out and a stonily silent Sasuke was forced to carry her.

Likewise, Kakashi and Rin had been talking to Obito when they were told. Kakashi had asked Rin at the time for a favor: To place an order for Naruto's name to be inscribed on the memorial of fallen heroes. She agreed without hesitation.

Kiba and Shino, while saddened by Naruto, tried to imagine the pain Hinata was going through… yet they couldn't even begin to fathom it.

Team Ten, Temari, and Sai were given the news while they were eating lunch. Once the messenger left, Shikamaru picked up his bowl and threw it at the wall, shattering it.

"Shikamaru-kun?" asked Temari, worriedly.

"What's the point?" Shikamaru asked angrily. "What the _hell_ is the goddamned _point_? Some maniac defeated the strongest shinobi in the village. What does that say about our futures? What's to stop another maniac from entering and killing us all? I can't take this. I'm out of here." With that, he left, a concerned Temari following him.

When Team Guy was told, there were mixed reactions. Neji was extremely pained due to both Naruto's condition and the condition his dear cousin would be in. He had to hold a sorrowful Tenten while Lee stood silent, back towards his teammates. "Lee?" said Neji, "Are you okay?"

"No," said Lee. "I'm not okay. Naruto-kun is going to die and there's nothing I can do about it. He never, ever got to reach his dreams… so close, yet so far." He clenched his powerful fist so tightly that he began to bleed. "So… very far."

Tsunade and Jiraiya watched the village from the top of the Hokage building. "It seems that with Naruto, the hope of Konoha dies," said Jiraiya.

"Amazing how one person, not even the Hokage, can influence so many in such a short time, isn't it?" said Tsunade.

"That's his special power. Without even knowing them for long, he can make a friend out of nearly anyone."

"Indeed… he certainly did that for us."

Lightning crackled and thunder crashed in the skies above. "We should get going," Jiraiya said, motioning towards the door. "The storm's coming."

"No," responded Tsunade. "The storm is already here."

--------------------

Two days passed. Naruto's body still hadn't technically died. Hinata hadn't left her position and was beginning to forget what daylight felt like. Oddly enough, she'd gotten used to the utter silence of the room. The only sound was the soft beeping of Naruto's pulse on the machine. Each beat was more painful than the last to Hinata, as she knew that for every beat that wasn't the final one, the closer it came to it being the end. Suddenly, she felt extreme palpitations in her heart. As her breathing got more labored, she barely managed to reach the call button before blacking out.

"Hinata…?" said a voice in the darkness, a long while later. "Hinata, can you hear me?"

"Unh…" she replied, opening her eyes. "Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital bed," said the voice, now recognized as Tsunade's. "You passed out in Naruto's room."

"Why…?"

"According to our tests… it's heart failure. But you're a perfectly healthy kunoichi with no history of heart problems and no viruses present in your body."

"Then… why is my heart failing?"

"It's called Tokatsubo Cardiomyopathy, or 'Broken Heart Syndrome.' As the name sounds, when someone's emotional pain becomes too great, the heart physically begins to be damaged. And with the amount of emotional pain you've suffered from Naruto's… condition, I'd say it was more than likely you'd suffer this. I'm sorry, I should have caught it earlier."

"Wait…" she said, realizing she was missing something. "I need to be near Naruto-kun! Please, take me to him!"

"Shh," Tsunade whispered. "Take a look to your left."

Doing as she was told, Hinata spotted Naruto's still limp form next to her own bed.

"We've never done this for anyone, Hinata. But I made an exception in this case."

Hinata sighed in relief. "Thank you," she said, leaning back in her bed.

"Don't worry about it. Now, there's going to be a dinner held in honor of Naruto by all his friends. Do you want to come?"

"No. I'd rather be here," she said. Tsunade nodded and left the room, allowing Hinata to gather her thoughts. It was then that she recalled Naruto's words to her a long time ago. He'd said them while they were lying together in his bedroom.

"_Hinata-chan, there's something I want to tell you."_

"_What is it?"_

"_I love you."_

"_I know, and I love you too."_

"_But there's more," he said, shifting his position to look directly at her. "I want you to know that no matter what happens to me, to you, to both of us… you have my heart. Always."_

When he'd said that, she felt so happy… and now, she knew what he truly meant. "_… Even if you leave this world, Naruto-kun… I can live on, because… I have your heart."_ As she turned to give in to her tremendous fatigue, she thought she heard something stir. But when she looked at Naruto, he was still… comatose. Not even her Byakugan could tell any difference. "_I must be going crazy… not a surprise, all things considered. But… that sounded so real." _And so, with the thought that her heart and mind were failing her, she drifted off to sleep, remembering a promise he'd made her long ago:

"_If you need me, I will be there for you. No matter how close or far I am, if you call, I will arrive in an instant."_

------------------

Everyone had gathered in one of the finest restaurants in Konoha for the memorial dinner. They had been reminiscing about good times they'd had with Naruto. They figured that he wouldn't want them to be sad when thinking about his life.

" Naruto-kun showed me that even as a failure, working hard will let you succeed in life!" said Lee. "He is proof that there are no limits in life!"

"Indeed," said Neji. "Naruto… he made me realize that you _can_ break free of destiny. You _can_ change your fate. For that, I will never forget him."

Shikamaru stood up. "He's the reason I'm not a coward anymore. It's totally out of my character, but… somehow, with his faith, I was able to break free."

Everyone looked at Sasuke, expecting his own recollection. Sasuke had remained silent the entire dinner and didn't plan on changing that. One look from Sakura, however, and he said, "Naruto is… was… the best friend I could have asked for. Even when I was pushing everyone away, he stood by and saved me from my darkest time… but I couldn't save him. He taught me what life was really about."

"It's not your fault, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto was definitely a good friend… he would always talk about his ninja way, and how he kept promises because of that… but he did keep those promises. He never strayed from his path." She peered at the empty seat reserved for Hinata. "And I'm sure he would have made an incredible husband."

Kakashi, who had stayed in the corner talking to Guy most of the meal, stepped forward, drink raised. "To Naruto; a great friend, a great warrior, and a great man."

A resounding "To Naruto!" erupted from the entire table.

"Hey," said a voice from the doorway, "Are you guys talking about me?"

All eyes darted towards the origin of the voice. "No… No way," said Sasuke.

"It can't be!" gasped Sakura.

"It is…" said Neji, staring with his Byakugan.

At that moment, Naruto stepped through the threshold, arm around an ecstatic Hinata who was practically hanging off of him. Smiling at the open-mouthed, wide-eyed, pale faces, he said, "What? You think a measly little thing like death could stop me?"

-------------------

This chapter took kind of a dark turn. But it ended up nicely, didn't it? By the way, Tokatsubo Cardiomyopathy or Broken Heart Syndrome is a real illness. You can actually die of a broken heart. Also, "Itadakimasu," for those who don't know, is the word used in Japan before you eat. It's an extra-modest expression, from the verbs meaning to eat and to drink, which essentially means, "I will (humbly) eat."

Thank you for the multitude of reviews, guys! Keep up that reviewing pace!

Did you honestly think I'd kill off Naruto? This is fanfiction of Shonen manga! Good guys win, hero gets girl, etc.!


	17. Arc Epilogue: Between Storms

Author's Note: Yaaaay, reviews… you know, when I got to chapter 16 on the fanfic before this, I had half as many reviews. I guess that shows my growth as a writer, ne? Anyway, to Fionn the Otaku, I believe is your name: You make an excellent point, but if you look in the chapter, I explain that away. Plot devices are fun!

Disclaimer: No ownage of Naruto by me

Chapter Seventeen: Arc Epilogue: Between Storms

_At that moment, Naruto stepped through the threshold, arm around an ecstatic Hinata who was practically hanging off of him. Smiling at the open-mouthed, wide-eyed, pale faces, he said, "What? You think a measly little thing like death could stop me?"_

The faces around him were nearly all unmoving; Ino was rubbing her eyes in disbelief and Choji, still staring at Naruto, had begun shoving food in his mouth at an alarming rate. Lee's face had a look of utter thrill.

"Uh… guys?" Naruto shifted his eyes back and forth slowly. "I'm… I'm not a ghost," he said nervously. "If I were a ghost, could I do…" he dipped Hinata downward and kissed her passionately, "That?"

"Well, you have to understand," said Jiraiya, stepping through the door behind Naruto, "It's not every day that they see a dead man walking around."

Someone else confirming Naruto's existence seemed to snap the rest, or at least Sakura, out of their daze, as she grabbed Naruto and Hinata and rapidly dragged them toward the table. "Here," she said, sitting Hinata down in her reserved seat, "And… here we go," she pulled a seat from another table and gestured for Naruto to sit in it. Pointing a finger a hair's width from Naruto's nose, she said, "Now. Spill."

"What?"

"Don't give me 'what?'! You know damned well what! How are you… here?"

Naruto scratched his forehead and said, "I'm… not exactly sure. But I'll give you what I can remember. I remember fighting the Akatsuki leader… and I knew Hinata-chan was safe. I kind of saw pure darkness, and then…"

_Pain. Cold. Fear. Sorrow. Silence "Where am I?" he said, "What am I, and how can I be speaking?" As far as he could tell, he had no body. His voice made no sound, but merely subsisted in nothingness. "And more importantly… why am I?" The nothingness did not answer. All he felt were the painful emotions… but what was he to feel them? _

_It seemed like an eternity (odd, in a place where time held no meaning) later that he heard the name. "Naruto-kun…"_ _it appeared from everywhere and nowhere at once, yet as though it were from thousands of miles away._

_Naruto-kun? Who was that? Was he, this shapeless entity, this "Naruto-kun"? And why had the voice been able to sunder the nothingness, to make something exist? The nothingness evaporated, only to be replaced by utter darkness… and yet the darkness was so welcome, such a beautiful oasis from the terrible nothingness._

_Then it came again. "Naruto-kun…" Impossibly far, but somehow closer than before._

_Where was it coming from? Why was this sound so important? Why was it so… beautiful? Again, the surroundings changed. Where the sorrow, fear, and silence had been, hope now existed. The pain was there, doubly so, but his newfound hope provided more than enough armor against it. _

"_Naruto-kun…"_

_There! He was sure to lock onto it now. He had a direction; he just needed to pinpoint it._

"_I love you."_

_Light erupted in the darkness, flowing from everywhere until the entire universe seemed to be pure, golden light. And then a miraculous thing happened._

_He had a heartbeat. "Am I… alive?" he asked himself. _

"_No," came a thunderous boom from all around. "But you can be."_

"_How?" he asked, but no answer came. Instead, he kept listening to his heartbeat, as though if he did not keep track of a single thump, he would lose his heart forever. His ears – he had ears! - pricked up as several mutterings could be heard. He reached for them, longed for them, but they seemed just out of his range._

"_You can be alive," came the incredible, rumbling voice._

_He contemplated asking how once more, but figured it would be no use. After all, he already knew the answer._

"_I am Uzumaki Naruto." He began speeding toward the direction of the sound, accelerating at an astounding rate._

"_Yes?" said the voice, "Go on."_

"_I am Uzumaki Naruto," he said, approaching warmth that was so comforting, his pain dissolved. "And I want to live."_

"_Good." As soon as the voice said this, the pain returned with a vengeance. It was pain so terrible, so utterly mind shattering that it threatened to crush him, burst him, and break him all at once. "Fear not," said the voice, which grew more and more familiar, "The pain you feel… is just the agony of birth."_

Naruto finished his story to a silent and wide-eyed crowd. "You… knew what it was like to be dead?" whispered Sasuke, as though speaking too loudly might shatter the entire story.

"I don't think so," said Naruto. "I think I was… in between worlds."

"Woah," said Shikamaru. "That's pretty deep stuff, Naruto. Did you wake up after that?"

"Uh," said Naruto, rubbing the back of his head, "Maybe Hinata-chan better tell this part."

She nodded and began her tale.

_She'd just woken up from her nap and was at once frightened and relieved to hear the continuous beeping of Naruto's heart rate. It meant she hadn't been unconscious while he… left, but it also meant he was very, very close. _

_And then she heard it. The beeping stopped and became a drawn out whistle. Sight blurring, Hinata turned over the side of her bed and threw up uncontrollably as tears burst forth from her eyes. She activated her Byakugan so that while she was in this state, she would still be able to gaze at her beloved's body for just a moment longer. But when she focused on the device that held Naruto's finger, she noticed something very odd._

_Naruto was not attached to the heart rate monitor. The Byakugan deactivated out of pure shock, forcing her to turn around as she wiped her mouth. Her face, already naturally very pale, drained entirely of color._

_Her love was sitting upright in his hospital bed, smiling at her. From the look on her face, he thought she might faint. Instead, however, she opened her mouth very wide. At first, she made no sound. But after a moment, she began shrieking at the highest possible pitch she could muster._

"_Hi-Hinata-chan, are you-" he began, but was cut off by Hinata's scream dying down._

"_Oh my God," she said, frantically grasping at her hair, "This is it. I've snapped! I've gone crazy!" She looked at Naruto, screamed again, and then pointed a finger at him. "You… you, you're not real! You can't be real. Oh God, I'm talking to my own hallucination!"_

_Naruto stood up. "Hinata-chan, I'm not-"_

"_Don't say it! You're my hallucination and I'll be damned if I let you talk! Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…" She began to pace wildly around the room._

_Naruto did not protest, as he didn't want to upset her even more. He was highly confused as to why she was acting so dramatically different (and, as she herself said, crazier) than she usually did. _

"_Hinata!" called Shizune, running into the room. "I heard you scream, and – Oh my God." Shizune blanched and Naruto thought she too was going to start screaming and babbling about being insane. Instead, however, she fainted._

_As he watched Hinata, Naruto could swear he could hear the gears turning in her head. "Wait… she could see you too. That means…" she gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. _

"_You see?" said Naruto. "That's what I've been trying to tell-"_

_Before he could react, Hinata had wrapped her arms around his midriff and buried her face in his chest. "Never leave me like that again," she sobbed, her tears staining Naruto's shirt. "Ever."_

_The warm droplets felt like a confirmation that he was alive. "No," he replied, stroking her silken mane. "Never."_

Ino's eyes were brimming with tears at the sheer romanticism of the story. "That's… so beautiful."

"But we're still missing something," said Neji.

"Indeed," said Shino, "We still don't know how you came out of that coma even after life support had been taken off."

"I believe I can explain that," Tsunade said, helping a still pale and slightly woozy Shizune through the door. "Sorry we're later, she had a bit of a-"

"We know," said Sakura.

"Ah. Well, anyway, I should have figured out why Naruto wasn't coming out of his coma." She eased Shizune, who was mumbling something about ghosts, into a chair and said, "The Kyuubi was brought out during Naruto's battle with the Akatsuki Leader. Unlike when the Kazekage would bring out the Ichibi, the Kyuubi physically maimed Naruto's body. Because of that, it was unable to heal him after the fight and he remained in a coma."

"And because of this, we had to keep him on life support so that his other wounds could heal. But the Kyuubi chakra finished healing him about three weeks into his coma. However, because the life support was on, his body refused to recognize his coma as something wrong with it. After all, there was no real damage to Naruto's flesh. Therefore, after the life support had been taken off, the chakra emerged to heal, realizing the problem." She turned to Naruto. "I'm sorry, Naruto. We've never had to treat a Jinchuuriki, so we couldn't know how that would work for you."

"Don't sweat it," he replied, squeezing Hinata a little more tightly against himself. "What matter's is that I'm here, right?"

Tsunade smiled, picking up a glass. "Hear, hear!" she exclaimed, prompting everyone to follow suit.

For hours after that, everyone wanted to make contact with Naruto; hugs, handshakes, even high-fives. All needed to verify his return for themselves. Once the fuss died down a tiny bit, Kakashi said, "Now, Naruto. Let's discuss what happened before the coma… the 'Final _Rasengan,' _as you so cleverly named it."

"What was that move, anyway?" asked Kiba, "It didn't seem like any _Rasengan_ I'd ever seen."

"And how many times have _you_ seen a _Rasengan?_" said Ino, laughing.

"Shut up!"

"A-a-nyway," said Sasuke, trying to bring the focus back. "How did you use all five elements on one hand?"

"Honestly, I don't know," said Naruto. "I remember the Akatsuki leader hitting me… then everything went black. I heard Hinata-chan's voice, and I was up. I had more chakra, more energy than ever before, and somehow, I knew I could create that _Rasengan._"

Kakashi chuckled. "Unpredictable indeed," he said under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I think I may know how it happened," said Jiraiya, hefting a large scroll onto the table. "This is the secret scroll of the Uzumaki clan. There are a series of defenses that allow only one of Uzumaki blood to read it. Naruto, you know what to do."

Biting into his thumb, he opened the scroll and spread the blood across it. It felt like wind had passed over him and suddenly, he knew what the scroll said. "When light meets a prism, it splits to form colors. Let he who dies face the sun, reverse the break, and forge light anew."

Silence.

Naruto's eyes widened. Facing his beloved, he whispered, "_Hinata (facing the sun)…"_

As the two gazed at each other lovingly, Kakashi continued. "This must mean that when an Uzumaki with this _kekkei genkai_ is beaten to less than an inch of his life, they unlock this ability. Normally, the user would almost always die, as it is a similar effect to opening all eight inner gates. But Naruto, you have the Kyuubi, so that allowed you to circumvent that… side effect."

"Chakra is fashioned into the different elements for the various techniques out there," said Shikamaru, "So I guess what this does, as the scroll says, is break the chakra into the five elements, and then put it back together to form... light, I suppose. That allows Naruto to wield all five elements at once."

Naruto wasn't paying attention. Instead, he had taken Hinata's hand in his and was whispering, "Now, I kinda started getting dizzy after I killed the Akatsuki Leader… but I think I asked you a certain question." He peered at he ring for a moment. "I'm only guessing, but I take it from this you said 'yes'?" She nodded. "Well hell," he said, smiling wider than she'd seen throughout the evening, "That's the best thing that's happened all day, and I just came out of a coma."

He stood up. "Everyone," he said, interrupting the conversations around him, "I'd like to formally announce that Hinata-chan and I…" Grinning, he paused for dramatic effect. "… Are engaged!"

A wave of applause and cheers came as the reply. More and more, toasts were made and the level of excitement skyrocketed as one after another the rest of the group congratulated the two betrothed. The kunoichi kept taking turns admiring the incredible ring and wondering where Naruto of all people had gotten the money to buy it. Lee and Guy babbled incessantly about the springtime of youth, much to the chagrin of Neji. Eventually, once the party died down, people started going home.

"Sakura," said Sasuke, "I'll meet you home." Turning to the engaged couple, he said, "Congratulations again, you two. And Naruto… it's good to have you back." He walked out of the restaurant and thought to himself, "_It's a huge relief, but… what if it happens again? I'm not strong enough."_

Without realizing it, he passed Kakashi, who said, "Hey. I know that look."

"What look?"

"You had that look when you were twelve years old. It means you want more strength." Sasuke remained silent. "But it's okay this time because now, you don't want it for revenge. You want it to protect people, right? Well, I'm willing to help."

Sasuke scoffed cynically. "Oh yeah? How? It's not like you were much help a month ago either, you know."

"I know," replied Kakashi. "But I can still show you a thing or two…"

----------------

After arriving via Gama-kun, Naruto and Hinata had entered Naruto's bedroom. "Ahh… I haven't slept on this bed in a month!" Lying on the bed with her, he said, "Muuuch better than a hospital bed."

"It's good to be home, isn't it, Naruto-kun?" she said, snuggling up next to him.

"Yeah. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm not dead." He grinned, giggling at first, and then escalating to full blown laughter. "I'm not dead! I'm alive! I'm here with you and I'm not going anywhere!"

She began giggling too. "Naruto-kun, trust me, there's no one happier about it than I."

"Oh hell. I forgot to say something."

"Hm?"

Moving too quickly to be seen, he'd planted a firm kiss on her unsuspecting lips. When they parted, he moved his mouth towards her ear, whispered, "I love you," and wrapped his strong arms around her in a tight embrace. After a second, he felt hot tears fall onto his back. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, breathing the question more than saying it.

"I'm just…" she gulped, "I just love you more than anything in the world and… nothing has made me happier than knowing you're okay. I don't just love you, Naruto-kun. I _need_ you."

"You have me," he said, strengthening his hold ever so slightly. "Whenever you need me, I will be here."

-------------------

"Naruto's quite a guy, isn't he, Tsunade?"

"Yes he is."

"Lucky he has the Kyuubi."

"The Kyuubi is only part of it, Jiraiya. Even with the Kyuubi, it was still unlikely that he would ever come out of that coma. The deciding factor was his will to live and most of that was probably his desire to see Hinata."

Jiraiya nodded. "Are you going to tell him?"

"That he's my successor? Not yet, certainly not until after the war."

"That could take years."

"I know. But I have more experience, both as Hokage and as an officer in war. It would be irresponsible to give up my position."

"That's true. Still, I won the bet."

"What bet?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember. A long time ago, you, Orochimaru and I made a bet that whoever's students were more successful would win. We all had different terms, but I think you remember mine."

"Yes, but that was such a long ti-"

"You have a chief of medicine in waiting and the Hokage's attendant. Orochimaru, not that it matters much, has a military police commander and a tokubetsu jounin. I, on the other hand, have not one, but_ two_ Hokage as my students. I think it's obvious who the winner is. Now pay up, legendary sucker."

She sighed. "Okay. One date. No groping, poking, patting peeping, or any other such activities, understood?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Come on, Tsunade. Don't you know me?"

"Unfortunately."

"Touché. But we can still drink ourselves silly, right?"

"Of course."

"Then it's a date! What can possibly go wrong?"

"Oh so very many things," she muttered.

"Did you say something?"

"No. Now get lost, I have paperwork to do."

-----------------

In the dead of night, Naruto was still up, holding Hinata to himself. "Wow," he said into the darkness.

"Naruto-kun? What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just… when you've been dead, you tend to re-realize how wonderful things are… and Hinata-chan, you're the most wonderful thing in my life."

"Oh, Naruto-kun," she said, kissing his cheek. "When your fiancé is in a coma, you tend to re-realize how amazing he truly is." Covering herself with a blanket, she said, "Let's go to sleep Naruto… we both haven't had a relaxing sleep in a month."

"Agreed. At least tomorrow won't be nearly as stressful."

Little did Naruto know, tomorrow would be just the opposite.

---------------

Dun-dun-DUUUUNNNN.

Yeah, pretty bad chapter here. But it's an epilogue for this arc. I tried to do the Naruto's death sequence as sort of a variation on Gaara's death when the Shukaku was being taken out of him.

Note: _Hinata_ in Japanese can be read as "facing the sun." I thought it was a nice touch… yeah? No? Okay.

Anyway, as always, review, and you'll get chapters faster! Yay!


	18. Out of the Frying Pan

Author's Note: Wow. I totally wasn't expecting to get that many reviews for the last chapter, especially considering I was doing some pretty weird stuff with Naruto's "death." Ah well, I'm not complaining. By the way, in this chapter, expect some fluff. More fluff than a teddy bear. Onward!

Dicslaimer: Doooon't stop… Beliiievin' (that I don't own Naruto). Journey? Anyone?

Chapter Eighteen: Out of the Frying Pan

"_I'm coming, Naruto-kun. I'm coming and you can't stop me."_

"_No…"_

"_You can't do a thing about it. You can't protect yourself. You can't protect your home. You can't protect your friends. You can't protect her."_

"_Stop…"_

"_Like the rest, she will stand valiantly. But inevitably, she will fall. All because of you."_

"_No!" _

Naruto awoke, gasping and sweating. With a glance at his clock, he guessed it must have been around noon. "_A dream,"_ he thought, wiping the sweat from his brow. "_Just a dream…"_ But the eyes he'd seen in that dream haunted him. Indeed, more frightening than the Sharingan or Byakugan were those concentric circle eyes to Naruto. _"He didn't win," _he kept reminding himself, _"I won, and Hinata-chan and everyone else are safe. No one died… well, except me, I guess. But that was only for a month or so."_

He turned to the woman lying fast asleep next to him. Drawing his fingers across her jawline, he could not help but admire the smooth texture. Grinning at the smile that came over her from his touch, he thought, "_It's amazing. I can create a thousand _kage bunshin_ without so much as a blink. I can wield all five elemental chakra types. I can summon two different species of animals, one whose scroll I created. I killed the strongest shinobi anyone's ever seen. I've fought a tailed beast to a draw. And yet…"_

He sighed, taking in the sight of the gorgeous woman before him. "_And yet, she makes me as tame as a kitten. She eases the pain in my heart. People say I'm pretty special for one reason or another, but really… she's more special than I could ever hope to be. God, gods, the heavens, whoever's up there… I don't care what you do with me. But please, keep her safe and happy."_

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts and waking Hinata. "Whazzat…?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Shh," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Someone's just at the door. I'll be right back."

Faking a pout, she said, "Promise?"

He smiled. "You know my _Nindo (Ninja Way),"_ he answered, stepped out the door, and slid down the stair banister.

Sakura was the one to greet him when he opened the door. "Hey, Naruto – Oh God," she said, covering her eyes. "Please put on some pants."

"Huh?" Realizing he was in fact bottomless, he blushed, grinning sheepishly. "Oh! Heheh, sorry. _Kage bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)! Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!" _he said, and put on the _bunshin, _which was transformed into a pair of shorts.

Uncovering her eyes, Sakura raised one eyebrow and said, "Thaaat's really, really creepy. Anyway, Tsunade-sama wants to see our team. Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun are there already."

"Why does she want to see us?"

Sakura's expression grew grim. "She didn't say, but she had a very serious tone in her voice… it must be important."

Naruto nodded. "Alright. I'll be there in a flash. Thanks, Sakura-chan." She waved good-bye and Naruto ran back upstairs to get dressed.

"What did Sakura-chan want?" asked Hinata, brushing her hair.

"Tsunade-baachan wants to see us. I gotta hurry, but I'll be back soon." He paused to give her a kiss. "Bye!" With that, he was out the door.

-----------------

"Okay," said Tsunade a few minutes later, "Now that you're all here, we can begin. Jiraiya?"

He nodded. "I'll get right down to it. This is going to be difficult, but in a few months, nearly all the neighboring shinobi countries will be declaring war on us."

Everyone's eyes widened. "A war?" repeated Sakura.

"How is that possible?" asked Sasuke.

"Apparently, when Naruto defeated the leader of Akatsuki, the rest of the organization had a backup plan. They decided-"

"Wait a minute," interrupted Naruto. "I thought he was the last member of Akatsuki."

"Unfortunately, he wasn't. In order to perform the sealing of the tailed beasts, Akatsuki needs a certain number of members. Otherwise, it won't work. Anyway, their plan was that if they couldn't capture you, they would destroy Konoha and take you from the remains." Jiraiya paused to let this take effect. "Using the strength of each member, they have killed several residents of each shinobi village and planted a Konoha forehead protector on the scene of the murder."

"So they framed us…" said Kakashi.

"Right." Jiraiya grinned. "But they didn't count on one thing: Our alliance with the Sand."

Sakura smiled. "The Kazekage!"

"Exactly. As a former Jinchuuriki, Gaara knows of Akatsuki's treachery. Therefore, he's decided to continue being allies with us during this war."

"But wait," said Sasuke, "Couldn't we just explain that it was Akatsuki, not us?"

Shaking his head, Jiraiya answered, "Unfortunately not. Akatsuki is a relatively unknown group and they only really became enemies to Suna and us. In other places with Jinchuuriki, the villages did not object to their presence and even regarded them as liberators. In addition, the people they killed were several high-ranked members, so it's unlikely they'd listen to our reasoning."

"Naruto?" said Tsunade. "You've been awfully quiet. What do you have to say about this?"

Naruto had been facing the ground, silent, fists clenched. "It's… it's all my fault," he muttered. "All this bloodshed will happen because of _me!"_

"I thought you might feel that way," said Jiraiya. "But the other villages, except maybe Mist, are all reasonable and mostly even-minded. They wouldn't leap to war at something like this. As my sources reveal, the other villages were growing resentful of our strength, which never wavered, even after Orochimaru and Akatsuki's attacks. Since the beginning, Konoha has had some of the most powerful _kekkei genkai (bloodline limits)_and handed-down techniques and styles: The Sharingan and Byakugan, the Aburame Clan's bugs, Nara's _Kagemane (Shadow Possesion),_ and hell, even Akimichi's fat-based techniques… all are heavily envied by our rivaling villages. They were looking for an excuse to fight."

There was silence for a moment until Kakashi asked, "So why call just the four of us together, Tsunade-sama?"

"Because," said Tsunade, "You four will play pivotal roles in this war. Kakashi, you will use your status and influence in ANBU to organize different teams from those operatives. Sakura, you, as my star pupil, will be in charge of distributing the battle-ready medical ninja to the various teams. Sasuke, I'm leaving you to train the military troops. Also… I have something of a gift for you." Reaching under her desk, she pulled out a glass case containing a straightedge sword in a very ornately designed sheath.

Sasuke's eyes widened; that sword had been in textbooks when he was at the academy. "That's – "

"The Second Hokage's ninja katana, correct. Much like Asuma's old trench knives, this blade can channel whatever kind of chakra you wish without your having to charge it. He used to use it as a sword of water, but I'm sure you can find other ways to use it. We haven't had a sword specialist like you in a long time."

"Tsunade," Naruto said softly, "What about me?"

Tsunade sighed. "I'm sure you expected me to tell you something about having to protect you and thus leaving you out of the conflict or some such thing. But instead, I'm making you a general in the army."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. "What… did you say?"

"That's right. You'll be leading our men and women into battle. Can I count on you?"

He seemed flabbergasted for a moment, then said, "You… You bet!"

"That's what I wanted to hear. Now, the other villages have planned the attack as occurring in two months. Use that time to prepare and alert everyone you can. We have to perform a counter-ambush, making it appear as if we were unaware of the whole thing. Understood?"

A unison "Yes," came from the four.

"Good. Then you're dismissed, except for you, Naruto." As Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi left the room, Tsunade whispered, "I know what you're thinking, Naruto, and it's quite understandable from recent events. But doing that will only make things worse."

Crestfallen, he replied, "Then what am I supposed to do?"

She smiled. "I know you. You'll figure it out."

He grinned. "Thank you, Tsunade."

"Hmm?" Raising an eyebrow, she said, "I thought you'd call me 'Tsunade-baachan' and skip out of here like you were on a sugar high."

"Well," he said, giving one last smirk before turning to leave, "I'm not a kid anymore."

After a moment, Tsunade called, "Kakashi, I know you're outside the door listening in on us. Come on in."

The scarecrow wandered in and placed a hand to his forehead. "Boy, do I feel old," he said with a sigh.

"Yeah, well, get over it," Tsunade replied wryly, "Because you don't feel half as old as we do."

"Hey, speak for yourself," said Jiraiya, "I'm still a spring chicken!"

-----------------

Naruto returned to the mansion only to be greeted by the scent of a delicious omelet._ "Mmm… I forgot how good a cook Hinata-chan is,"_ he thought, licking his lips.

As he stepped into his enormous kitchen, Hinata said, "Naruto-kun! Welcome back!" a delighted expression on her face and a general glow about her.

Returning her smile, he asked, "What's got you so happy?"

She beamed at him. "Well, when I woke up this morning… I thought your waking up was a dream. But then I heard your voice and it was like the most beautiful music I've ever heard, Naruto-kun. I realized how great my life is at that moment. My family loves and respects me, I've got plenty of friends, and to put the delicious icing on that cake, I'm getting married to the man of my dreams! There's no way this could be ruined, right?"

After a brief inner struggle, he decided, "_Well, I guess the news about the war can wait a day or two. For now, I'm gonna enjoy my delicious omelet with my wonderful fiancée."_ "Yeah. Nothing can take this away from us. Now let's eat, I'm starved!"

When they sat down to eat, Naruto, inspired by Hinata's evaluation of life, decided to recall how drastically she had changed over the years. When they'd met in the academy, she most of her speech was stuttering around him and she could never look him in the eye. Because he'd always been alone and never had time to learn more about her, his young mind was forced to conclude that she was just what he'd seen: Plain, timid, and weird, above all else.

Then came the chuunin exam. Despite her then cruel cousin's taunts about destiny and inescapable fate, she forced herself to change. "_She changed… for me."_ Looking back, he realized that this was one of the most touching gestures anyone had ever made to him. Before the final, he'd seen her and admitted something he told no one: That all his bravado and arrogance was just a show to hide his weakness and insecurity. Her reaction was incredible, and her words reignited his confidence, which, he believed, ultimately formed the foundation for his victory that day. After her display of her faith in him, he realized, as he told her, that people like her were truly the most valuable to him.

She didn't come to meet him when he left to train for three years. Perhaps she was afraid that, if she did see him off, she wouldn't be able to help but confess her love for him. In which case, she must have been sure that he would flat-out reject her. Though she knew intellectually, at the time, that she could never love him, her heart needed to maintain the illusion that he would, should she ever tell.

When he came back, she had been part of the eight-man platoon to capture Itachi. Obsessed with returning Sasuke as he was at the time, he did not notice her strength or her beauty. She had been very helpful in the mission, though.

And then, right before the second chuunin exam, she told him, tears flowing out of those large, pearly eyes. He'd told her to wait, not because he felt nothing for her (he sure felt _something _for her), but because the reception of romantic love had been so foreign to him. Sure, he'd crushed on Sakura for years and years, but this feeling of _being_ loved back, of having one's existence acknowledged in the most beautiful way… it was enough to force him to realize those feelings were mutual. Finally, they had their first kiss, and the rest is history.

These memories had brought sort of a dazed smile to his face, which Hinata did not fail to notice. "Naruto-kun?" she said, "What is it?"

He snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing; I was just remembering… Hey, Hinata-chan, what do you say we go out on the town today?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well," he said grinning, "I can tell you that getting there and coming back will be on Gama-kun. Between that, we have to make it up as we go along."

She beamed back at him. In all truth, the day was amply fun; talking to friends, going to fine restaurants to eat (one of Naruto's most liked pastimes), and other such activities entertained them. Perhaps the most fun part of it was seeing everyone's shocked expressions when they saw a man they thought dead walking about town. Several fainted; others shouted things akin to "Ghost!" For the first time in a month, Naruto truly felt what it meant to be alive.

"Oh, Naruto-kun," she said, leaning on him as they walked in the door to his place, "I haven't been this happy in so long. Oh!" She held one hand to her mouth. "I just remembered! When do you want to get married?"

Naruto's face fell. He knew it would have come to this eventually. Sighing, he said, "Uh… Hinata-chan, I don't think we'll be able to get married in a long while…"

Mostly failing to try and hide her disappointment, she asked, "Why? I mean, that's fine, but…"

Sighing, he resigned himself to his duty and told her about the situation.

"… A war?" She had barely spoken in a whisper, as though speaking too loudly would make the war start in their home at that instant. He nodded. "Oh my God…"

"Hinata-chan…"

"I know what you're going to tell me," she said, cutting across him. "You think I shouldn't fight, or that I need extra protection, or – "

"Hinata." She immediately ceased talking; whenever he used her name without his affectionate honorific, she knew he was being serious. "I know how strong you are." He spoke softly, another sign that he thought he was speaking words of import. "The only protection you need…" He reached into his shinobi tool bag and pulled out… "Is this, the _Hiraishin_ (_Thunder God)_ kunai. I'll be on the frontlines, so if you ever need me, just throw it."

She grasped the kunai, feeling its heaviness in comparison to its regular counterpart. Just as softly as he, she said, "Thank you… for your faith in me, Naruto-kun."

His usual bright smile returned. "Nah, of course! You're the next leader of the Hyuuga clan and my fiancée. Of course you're strong."

Her smile too returned.

----------------

"So you're here at last," said Sasuke as Kakashi appeared before him in the training ground.

"Ah, you arrived before me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "I _have_ been waiting for an hour, you know."

"Oh. Sorry about that," said Kakashi, who then donned his one-eyed smile. "You see, there I was, walking along, when I saw an insect perch on a flower and suddenly, I was stricken with an immense epiphany about life. That's when I realized – "

"I don't… I don't want to hear it," said Sasuke, annoyed. "You said you had some 'tricks' to show me. So show me already."

Kakashi's expression reverted to normal. Revealing two sacks, he said, "You're right. I must warn you, this requires a bit of intense chakra control, far beyond that of making a sword out of chakra or lightning."

"I think I can handle it."

"Okay." He opened the first sack, from which a few balloons rolled out, apparently full of liquid. "The first step is to swirl the water inside until the balloon pops. Simple enough, right?"

"Are you kidding me?" said Sasuke skeptically. "A twelve year old could do it."

Kakashi chuckled. "Quite right you are…"

---------------

The next day, two Jounin eagerly awaited the arrival of their new general in the male locker room.

"I'm telling you, Mari, that'll totally get me in good with the general!"

"I'm not so sure," said Mari. "I think you might be assuming to much about the general, Aokane."

Aokane laughed. "Nobody could resist this, Mari! Well, except you, but that's because you're weird." Eyes darting to the door, he added, "Oh, look, he's coming! I'll show you."

Naruto stepped through the door and saluted, proudly saying, "Soldiers."

A hearty "Sir!" erupted from the soldiers with a wave of salutes to accompany.

Satisfied, Naruto stepped through the room until Aokane walked next to him, saying, "General Uzumaki! I've heard stories about you, you're famous."

The general smiled. "Thanks."

Aokane shot a look over his shoulder to Mari that clearly said _So far so good, sucker._

"My name's Aokane Hitoshi. So… I hear you're engaged to the heiress of the Hyuuga, eh?"

"Yep…"

"That's pretty awesome, eh?" Then, Aokane made the mistake of continuing. "That's one fine piece of ass, eh?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Excuse me?"

"Come on… she's a hot babe! Any guy would kill to get her in the sack, eh?" He nudged Naruto with his shoulder. "Eh, you lucky dog, you?"

A second later, Mari had carefully examined the bloody pulp that was now Aokane's face and, seeing he would be fine, followed Naruto. "Sorry about him, sir. He's a good guy, but… he's a bit of an ass sometimes. I tried to talk him out of it, but… well, you know what happened."

By this time, Naruto had calmed down. "It's alright. What's your name, soldier?"

"Me?" he said nervously. "Uh… Private Mari Takeshi, sir."

Naruto extended his right hand. "Good to have you on board, Private Mari."

Grasping the hand and shaking it, Takeshi said, still nervous and a little excited by the general's recognition, "Th-thank you, sir! It's an honor to serve under you."

Finishing the shake, Naruto addressed the whole locker room. "Attention. Aokane will be given latrine duty for the next two weeks. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," said the crowd.

Naruto sighed. This was going to be a long two months.

----------------

Well, this chapter was… uneventful, but I really wanted to look into Hinata's character. I love her character very much and dearly wish that she ends up with Naruto. I know, however, that the author will inevitably either pair him with Sakura or not at all.

Le sigh.


	19. Honorless

Author's Note: As the series goes on, my fic becomes more inaccurate. I hope you guys will bear with me.

So glad so many of you have faith in Naruto and Hinata's love. I used to have that faith, and I still kind of do, but well… when you're a pessimist, you get more pleasant surprises. I think Sakura and Naruto will get together because of something Yamato said in the manga… after Naruto comes out of 4-tails mode, he says "It's not what you can _do_ for Naruto that's important… it's how strongly you _feel_ about him that counts… Sakura… I can tell just by looking at you… the truth is–" and then he gets cut off in an extremely annoying move by Kishimoto that is just _so _him (much like refusing to call the 4th Hokage by his name in Kakashi Gaiden). I think that implies Sakura has the hots for Naruto. But enough blather. Onto the best couple in the series!

Disclaimer: Nope.

Chapter Nineteen: Honorless

"_Damn it,"_ thought Sasuke, bursting what he thought must have been the fiftieth balloon he'd burst that day. He'd soared past the first two steps of the _Rasengan_ with startling ease, needing only one balloon and one ball to get past them. This last step was killing him. Sasuke recalled the Kakashi's story about when Jiraiya had taught Naruto the technique. _"What am I doing wrong?"_

He couldn't understand… aside from Sakura, he had the greatest chakra control in his class. He was doing essentially what Naruto had: combining the first two steps, trying time after time through the night… hell, he was even plowing through with the tenacious fervor. "_Damn it,"_ he thought again, picking up another balloon.

"Can't lick it, eh?" said a familiar voice.

"Kakashi?" asked Sasuke, turning to see his teammate holding his usual book. "What are you doing here?"

"Look at you, so tired and stressed that you didn't even notice me. I wasn't even masking my presence with chakra." He closed his book. "But, as to your question, I'm here to do what any good sensei does: teach." Sasuke remained silent. "So, you can't figure out the _Rasengan."_

"That's not it," said Sasuke, a bit annoyed at the man before him. "I understand how to do it… and according to what you told me about you and Naruto did to learn it, I should be fine."

"Is that so?" said Kakashi, taking a balloon in hand. "Well then, let's do an evaluation of you and me. The criteria for this technique are good chakra control and force. You and I are about equal in those aspects, so obviously your skill is not the answer. This technique was developed by the Fourth Hokage himself, a man who also created _Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)_, a technique which requires complete concentration to perform. Now, you and I have both mastered _Chidori,_ a technique that, even with the Sharingan, requires immense concentration. But another thing –"

"Get to the _point!"_ snarled Sasuke.

"I was just about to. Another thing the Fourth Hokage had was a usually calm, if goofy demeanor when not on the battlefield. To master the _Rasengan_, he had to keep that same demeanor." The sounds of chaotic chakra swirling came from the balloon, but it did not pop. "I believe I have a similar quality, wouldn't you say?"

Sasuke became frustrated. "That doesn't fit. Naruto's never like that and he managed to do it when he was _twelve._"

"Ah," replied Kakashi, holding up his index finger. "I thought you might catch on to that. Naruto has, as you said a while ago, the chakra control of a rock. His zeal, combined with his incredible chakra supply, allowed him to breach that gap. However, as the _Rasengan_ is all about balance, you can't under or overdo it. Luckily, once you learn it, it's like riding a bike."

"Why would a ninja ride a bike?"

"No clue. But the point is this: look at the state you're in." He stopped forming the _Rasengan_ and threw Sasuke the empty balloon. "Take a deep breath and try it again."

Closing his eyes, Sasuke did as he was told. As he exhaled, he could feel the stress and frustration leaving him. Then he began the technique in one hand, smiled at how simple it had been, and formed the sphere in his opposite hand.

"There," said Kakashi. "Easy, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah… but what's the point of learning this technique? It's not like it's stronger than my _Chidori._"

"The point was twofold," answered Kakashi. "First, seeing as this is purely physical manipulation and you're of the illustrious Uchiha clan…" He emphasized "illustrious," as though patronizing him ever so slightly, something missed by Sasuke. "You should eventually be able to make whatever the '_Katon: Rasengan (Fire Release: Spiraling Sphere)'_ is. Second, the only way you will become strong enough to fight, compete with, support, or whatever you want to do alongside your friends is to have a clear head."

"I see…"

Turning to leave, Kakashi added, "And by the way… you might want to practice a bit with the ninjatou of Nidaime. It's not like just anyone can use it. There are special seals of protection inside the sheath."

Turning towards the sword that he'd left leaning on a tree, Sasuke walked over and picked it up. Grasping the hilt to unsheathe it, he was hit with a sudden burst of force and repelled from the blade. "What…?"

"Take a look at what it says on the scabbard."

He lifted it up to the moonlight and read the inscription: "Let he who wields fire for the fire wield it."

"What could it mean…?" he muttered, examining the cryptic message.

"Well, that's why you're the genius, isn't it? See you around," said Kakashi, and he leapt away from the confused Sasuke.

Sasuke ran his fingers over the sheath. Though very obviously metal, when he touched it, it felt as though he were placing his hand just upon the edge of the water; Sasuke thought it must be a reflection of Second's prowess over _Suiton_. An idea struck him. Hovering his hand over the hilt once more, he thought, "_I am ready to give my life for the leaf."_ He attempted to grasp the hilt and for a moment it seemed he had succeeded. However, after a few seconds, his hand was repelled once more. "_Damn it,"_ he thought, looking over the inscription. He'd sure that had been it; he had gotten closer.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and began to think. _"Kakashi. Naruto. Sakura… Sakura." _He focused on her beautiful smile and lovely emerald eyes. He focused on her voice, her laugh, and everything about her that made him love her. Calmly, he reached to grasp the hilt, stopping short of actually touching it. Again, he thought, "_I am ready to give my life for the leaf,"_ gripped the hilt tightly and, to his relief, found no resistance.

Glad at his success, he removed the sword from the sheath. Immediately, the blade ignited, becoming engulfed in a cyclone of flame. Sasuke's first instinct was to throw the sword down, to fire a _Suiton (Water release)_ technique at it, and yet… the fire's heat did not reach him. No matter how closely he swung it, the fire did not catch on his clothing. Sasuke was amazed. But before he could further test his weapon, he felt a severe fatigue overtake him. He dropped the blade; the fire ceased.

"_The sword saps chakra like crazy, causing the body to compensate by making more chakra. But if I'm correct, that means eventually my body will adjust to it and… I'll become stronger!"_ he thought excitedly, and picked up the sword again. The blade blazed; the tornado of flame rose from the hilt once more. Doing his best to overcome the chakra depletion, he began performing a few simple kata that Orochimaru had taught him. "_With this,"_ he thought, swinging the sword to and fro, "_I can become strong enough. I know it."_

-----------------------

Naruto sat in the study of his house, looking over heavily detailed maps of surrounding enemy areas. "Let's see," he muttered, examining a map of areas surrounding the Grass village, "If we enter here, then we can… no, that's not right. But what if…? No. That won't work. Ah! I know, I'll-"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata stepped into the room carrying two cups. "I've got some tea, if you want."

"Lifesaver, as usual," he said, grinning as he took his cup. After a few sips, he asked, "So, has Sakura-chan sorted you into a team yet?"

She nodded. "I'm in a group with Shikamaru-kun, Lee-kun, and Kurenai-sensei."

"Kurenai-sensai?" repeated Naruto, eyebrow raised, "Doesn't she have a kid to take care of?"

"Yes, but… Iruka-sensei volunteered to help look after the child."

"Iruka-sensei… that definitely sounds like him."

A sudden pounding came from the front door. "Naruto! Hinata!" called Kiba's distinct voice coupled with Akamaru's barks, "Open up! It's urgent!"

The couple rushed to the stairs and Naruto nearly tore open the door. "What is it, Kiba?"

Kiba was panting heavily. "Our… our nearby lookout post. It's been attacked. Twenty of our men are dead."

Naruto's eyes widened. "How…" he asked blankly.

"They knew we knew about their battle plans and struck preemptively. It was those Mist Village bastards. They're all insane, I swear."

Naruto wasn't listening. "Kiba. I want you to take me to the battlefield, get a scent, and lead me to them."

Kiba gave a skeptical look. "You're not planning to fight them alone, are you?"

Naruto clenched his fist. "This is a direct order from your general! Now take me to them at once!"

"… Alright," Kiba said, knowing it was futile to argue. Calling to Akamaru, the two led Naruto and Hinata to the site of the slaughter.

It was truly horrific. Mangled bodies, some missing multiple limbs, some with organs clearly visible, were strewn all across the outpost. Naruto stared in shock at the scene before him. He could recognize several of the faces; these were men and women he _knew_, soldiers he had been talking with just the day before. It seemed almost unreal that they were gone, but the truth was painfully apparent.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hinata-chan," he said quietly, though his balled fists were shaking. "Please… see if – " he breathed deeply, steadying his hands. " – If there are any survivors." Hinata nodded and began searching with her Byakugan. Naruto picked up a Mist forehead protector, very nearly shoved it up Kiba's nose, and asked, "This should do for the scent, right? Let's go."

Reluctantly, Kiba began running toward the direction of the scent, Naruto trailing only a step or so behind. "You know," said Kiba as they ran, "The scent's so strong, you could've just used one of Kakashi-sensei's Ninken."

"No," replied Naruto, his voice monotone. "I want no mistakes here. You're the best."

"Thanks."

"I wasn't flattering you," added Naruto, still emotionless. "It's just how it is."

They traveled on, never slowing down or pausing to rest. Soon, they were a mere fifty feet from their destination, what looked like a small crater with around forty men crowded into it, chatting away.

"Okay, here's what I think we should do," said Kiba. "I think we –"

Naruto cut across him, saying, "You'll go home and wait for me to get back."

"You're crazy!" Kiba spat, trying his best not to shout so as not to compromise their position.

"Crazy?" Naruto began walking towards the crater. "Maybe so. But you have your orders. Return to Konoha. Keep Hinata-chan company."

Kiba sighed. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Yeah."

"Then go to it. Good luck," Kiba added, and began running back towards the village.

Naruto was virtually silent walking to the crater. He'd masked his presence using the technique Kakashi had taught him so many years ago. Finally, he was close enough to hear what the Mist ninja were saying.

"Man, those Leafies weren't expecting _shit_!" one of them was saying.

"Yeah, I know. I don't think I'll ever forget that bitch's look of surprise," another replied, and then made a face mocking the Konoha's expression.

"Betcha won't forget that gash she gave you either, eh?" the first said, laughing.

"Shut up!" the other yelled indignantly, "She – I thought she was dead! Little bitch – She tricked me!"

"Well, she's dead now! Good riddance, right?" a third said to several cheers and cries of agreements.

At any other time, Naruto would have preferred calling to them with some sort of grand, perhaps clever statement. He might have mocked them, outright insulted them… but now was not any other time. Calmly, he walked to the top of the crater and called, "Hey."

The cheers and cries instantly ceased. All eyes darted toward Naruto. The first Mist ninja pointed and called to the rest, "Hey! It's a Leafy! What are you doing here alone, Leafy? Didn't you get our message? You know, the pile of dead bodies." The rest began cackling cruelly.

"Yeah, I got your message," said Naruto. "I've got a reply for you, too." He placed his fingers into the cross-shaped seal. "Five little words. _Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Shadow clone technique)."_

There was a silence as the Mist ninja looked around, waiting for something. Just then, at least one hundred _Bunshin_ emerged, standing just at the edge of the crater, each holding a Hiraishin kunai. The original Naruto watched them, forming a rasengan. Silently, he sent the signal to his clones: "_Throw."_

The clones did as instructed and countless Hiraishin kunai flew through the air and the Mist shinobi frantically tried to dodge and block them. Naruto, however, had never intended to hit any of them, and with great flashes of light, he was teleporting all around the crater, blasting each ninja away with the same _Rasengan_ until all but one were unconscious.

Two _Bunshin_ picked up the last one and held him tightly by his arms. He struggled as Naruto slowly approached, but the _Bunshin_ were unrelenting. "P-please!" he whimpered, "Don't… don't kill me!"

"Don't kill you?" Naruto asked, as he approached and the air seemed to heat intensely even though Naruto's tone remained calm. "You murdered innocent, unsuspecting people, people who were only trying to protect themselves. You didn't even kill them in war. Instead, you murdered them in cold blood."

"M-mercy!"

"Mercy!" Naruto repeated, his voice raising volume the slightest bit. He stepped closer still. "Like you showed mercy for them? Give me one good reason – just one, even, – why I should let you live!"

"I, I just – you, but," the man spluttered on, true fear etched on his face. "Please!" he cried again.

Naruto let his fox features emerge, so that he was staring directly into the man's black eyes with his red ones. "You know, people call me a monster," he snarled, forming a _Rasengan_ in his right fist. "Maybe I am one! Maybe I should just tear you limb from limb right here, right now, along with your other murderous, horrible excuses for human beings!"

The _Rasengan_ hovered so close to the side of the man's face, the torrent of chakra inside the sphere sounded like a terrible cyclone. As tears began to stream down his face, he fainted. Naruto dispersed the clones and relaxed his hand and said, "But I'm not nearly the monster you are."

After a few quick seals, he held out his hands and ropes emerged from them, binding together all the fallen Mist Shinobi. The ropes were immune to the Rope Untying Technique, and so Naruto, with one hundred _Bunshin,_ felt safe in escorting this single-handedly defeated lot.

Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, had returned to take a break from practicing with his ninjatou when heard a sudden knocking on his office door. Opening it, he saw a shinobi with a Mist forehead protector and a sergeant's badge whose face appeared to be a bloody pulp, arms bound, held by Naruto, who said, "Hey, Sasuke. I think I found an optometrist."

"An optometrist?" repeated Sasuke, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," said Naruto, a sly grin on his face. "This guy wants to take a look at your eyes."

Returning the grin, Sasuke took hold of the prisoner. "Is that so. Well, I'll just be a minute. Wait out here."

Naruto did, and, true to his word, one minute later, Sasuke emerged with the semiconscious shinobi. "The guy was weak. I didn't even need to use the _Mangekyou._ I wrote down everything important," he said, and handed Naruto a clipboard and paper. "Here. This should be all you need to bring justice to these bastards."

Naruto thanked Sasuke and was off, eager to show Tsunade his findings.

---------------

"Interesting…" muttered Tsunade, looking over Sasuke's report with Naruto and Shikamaru. "This lists personnel, rank, superiors, and location names. It's perfect."

"Good ol' Sasuke!" said Naruto, folding his arms with a grin.

"What do you think, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked. He'd remained silent throughout the discussion.

"Well… we can't just send the prisoners back. They far outnumber us, the combined nations, so we need to somehow keep them thinking they struck us a heavy blow and sustained no losses."

A silence permeated the air for a second. Then Naruto said, "Alright, how's this?" He began to draw on the map. "I'll create _kage bunshin_ with several backups, just in case they get dispersed. Then I'll use _henge no jutsu (transformation technique) _to recreate their looks. After that, we'll send them back to the Mist village and report on a job well done. The Mizukage will think they succeeded."

Another silence. "Alright," said Shikamaru, impressed, "That works."

Tsunade smiled too, and said, "Alright! As soon as the Mist ninja's faces heal enough to discern their looks, execute the plan." With a sigh, she thought, "_He really will make a great Hokage."_

------------

A week later, Naruto stood in his mansion, taking a break from perfecting their opponet's looks. He sighed and said to Hinata, his back to her, "Hinata-chan… please, do something, anything to convince me again that life is wonderful… "

She approached him, put her hands on his shoulders, kissed him lightly but languidly on the neck, and said, "I'll do more than that, if you want."

He smiled and, two days later, he was off, traveling with his self-made troops to the Land of Water, where a certain unsuspecting Shadow would be given a false report of a mission that had resulted in success and disaster….

------------

Well, I'm back from India and the chapter's up. Here it is, hope you had fun! Please, review, as usual!

EDIT: Aha, whoops. Land of Water. Not Waves. Very diligent, there. As for the _Rasengan_, it doesn't necessarily explode on impact. Examples: Jiraiya drilled through a tree with it and Naruto held it, clashing, against Sasuke's _Chidori_. If it did explode on impact, Sasuke would have either plowed through the explosion or been thrown back instantly, not after the amount of time it took.


End file.
